All I Want
by BadassDixon
Summary: Carrie Corbett didn't know where she was getting into when she started working at Fangtasia and knew Eric Northman. And an old friend of her brother, Alcide Herveaux, who happens to be a werewolf, won't be exactly happy with Carrie working with vampires. Eric/OC/Alcide.
1. Chapter 1: Bad Things

**_Synopsis_****: **_Carrie Corbett was used to deal with supernatural beings, but nothing could prepare her for her new handsome, tall, Viking vampire boss, Eric Northman. She is adapting to her new life as a Fangtasia worker when she reencounters her old high school love, the guy she had a crush on and who never looked at her as anything else than a child, Alcide Herveaux, who doesn't like Carrie's new employment. To make her life even better, someone who was chasing her new co-workers seem to get suddenly interested in her, and surely she shouldn't be thinking how to decide between her sexy, mysterious vampire boss or her kind, caring werewolf friend. Heart problems are strange. _

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><p><strong><em>AN: <em>**_Hi everybody! This is the third story I publish here, but my first True Blood one. Before we get started, I want you to know, that this 23 chapter-length story doesn't follow any plot of the show, I just used the things I liked the most, the characters in the moment where I prefer them (for example, no Warlow, no Willa, no Nicole here) to create the scenario where my OC, Carrie, will live. You'll see in which moment of their lives are the canon characters as the story go on. This is a rated M story because, well, this is True Blood, my darlings. Vampires, sex and blood, so be ready. With that said, I hope you enjoy the reading. Reviews and PM are always welcome! _

_When Eric and Pam talk in Swedish I used an online translator… if any of you know Swedish and you see any mistake, let me know! The translations will be always at the end of the chapter._

_True Blood's rights aren't mine nor any of the characters. But all the OCs are mine._

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><p><strong><em>Chapter I: Bad Things<em>**

_When you came in the air went out._

_And every shadow filled up with doubt._

_I don't know who you think you are,_

_But before the night is through,_

_I wanna do bad things with you._

- _Bad Things_, Jace Everett.

"_Have I ever told you that you are completely crazy, Carrie?_" Charlie's voice said, my best friend, through the speaker of my phone. I laughed quietly as I walked, the sun setting behind me.

"Yes, Charlie, you've said that so many times I lost count." I sighed as I hurried. It was nearly eight o'clock, and I didn't want to be late.

"_Look, honey, I'm in favor of integration, civil rights for vampires and all that, but working with them? That's an entirely different thing. You can get yourself in danger, Carrie._"

I sighed. My friend Charlotte was great, and she considered herself very open-minded and progressive, but she wasn't it as much as she thought.

"Charlie, I need a job. Also, I'm just going to an interview, I don't think they'll give it to me."

Charlie laughed from the other line.

"_Are you kidding? If you show up, the job is yours. But I ask you not to do so. I'm afraid they do something to you._"

"Look, I know it worries you that in the moment I walk through the door they pounce on me like a pack of blood thirsty dogs, but that's why Tru Blood is for. Also, if I see something weird, I'll be the first one to get the hell out of there, okay?"

Charlie sighed from the other line, irritated.

"_You're a loggerhead_." She growled. "_Okay, do whatever you want. But call me when you end the interview. I'll walk you home by phone_."

I laughed at her protective side. Charlie and I were friends since we were five years old, and we protected at each other in high school. Us against the world, that was our motto. But I had always been more tolerant than her, and while she spent three weeks sleeping with a crucifix under her pillow when vampires came out of the coffin, I wasn't surprised. I had always known they were there, along with many other things. Simply, I hadn't said anything about it. I didn't want anybody to call me 'insane'.

"Done." I promised, smiling. "Talk to you later."

"_Don't get bit_."

I hung up with a laugh just when I visualized the bar. Big red letters were off, but _Fangtasia_ could be read clearly. Fang-tasia. Haha. Those vampires, always joking around.

I went to the club and, hesitating, I knocked on the door. I took a deep breath and readjusted my skinny jeans; I repositioned the V-neckline of my white t-shirt. A window opened in the door while I was smoothing my hair with my fingers and a head of a woman with short blonde hair, in her thirties, definitely human, appeared behind it. I raised my eyebrows at her look of distrust.

"What do you want? The bar's closed." She said shrilly, and I used my most charming 'I'm-a-sweetie-for-God's-sake-hire-me' smile.

"I'm here for a job interview."

The window closed and I stood there, puzzled, wondering what I should do. I was going to knock again when the window opened.

"Name?" The woman said, she seemed to tiptoe to be able to look at me through the window.

"Ah, Carrie Corbett."

The window closed again and I frowned, but the door opened, she smiled widely. Her face reminded me a little to a frog who had abused of her makeup. She wore very shiny clothes and at least two sizes small, judging by how tight it looked, although she was very thin.

"Come in, come in..." she said, motioning with her arm to me to enter the room. I obeyed, with a smile, and looked around. Everything was very... _vampiric,_ in the theatrical sense of the word. The walls were red and the furniture was black, with a vintage touch. Although, of course, who knew how old was the one who had furnished the place. At the front of the room, there was a small stage with a padded black wooden throne in the center. I raised an eyebrow, wondering who would sit there. "Sorry, you never know what kind of people is going to come over here, you know?"

I shrugged and smiled again.

"Don't worry. It's normal. You're alone?"

She shrugged.

"Awake, yes. I'm Ginger, by the way. Want a drink?"

I extended my smile.

"An iced tea would be great." I said, following her to the bar. "I see you have a lot of responsibility, Ginger. If they leave you in charge of everything while they sleep..."

Ginger smiled, shaking a hand dismissively.

"Oh, well, if they hire you I won't be alone anymore. I'm sure we'll become great friends." She said, smiling. I smiled back, not so sure. The fang marks she had in the neck, arms, chest and legs let me know the type of employee she was. The type I was _not_ going to be.

"I hope so." I said to Ginger, giving the first sip of my iced tea. "Well, and who's the Boss?"

Ginger opened her eyes, resting her elbows on the bar.

"Oh, tell me when you see him. His name is Eric, and he is..."

"I am very curious to know what I am, Ginger." A soft male voice said. "Continue."

I turned to find a six-foot tall vampire, blond and with broad shoulders, who looked at us raising an eyebrow. I turned toward him with raised eyebrows, trying to keep my jaw from dropping. _My God, what a man_. He had blue eyes, broad forehead and short dark blond hair slicked back, his thin but well-defined lips formed a smirk adorning his face. He wore a black shirt and jeans of the same color, with a leather jacket. I bit my lip for a second while I looked him up and down as nonchalantly as I could. Across the bar, Ginger mumbled something incomprehensible.

"Excuse me?" The vampire said, that Eric guy, I guessed, as he came closer to us. I smiled.

"I think Ginger was going to say that you're a good boss who treats his employees well, and that she could not think of a better job."

Eric's eyes were fixed on me, and I swallowed. His pale skin seemed almost chiseled by a Scandinavian God or something like that.

"And you are?"

I smiled widely, I wanted a job in his bar, after all.

"Carrie Corbett." I said, reaching out to the vampire, not quite sure if they shook hands. Apparently not, because Eric looked at my hand and then looked up at my face with a raised eyebrow.

"That name should mean something to me?" Eric said.

"She's one of the candidates for the employment." a feminine, seductive and low voice said from the other side of the bar. "She has an interview today."

Eric turned to the woman, and I tiptoed to look over his shoulder at who had spoken. It was a blonde vampire, with long hair, blue eyes and huge lips, with a sarcastic expression in her eyes. She was wearing jeans and sky-high heels, a pale pink silk blouse showed her figure perfectly. Is that all vampires were beautiful and the sexy as hell?

"And why was I not informed?" Eric asked, his voice was soft, but had a threatening hint. The woman raised a well-shaped eyebrow.

"I left a note on your desk three days ago. You've been too busy to..."

"_Nrdisrespect mig, Pam_!" Eric said in a language I did not recognize, but the anger in his voice was palpable. The vampire woman nodded and turned around, disappearing through a door. That was when I saw that an Afro-American vampire woman was behind her, and followed her without a word. Eric turned to me.

"If you can follow me to my office, Miss Corbett..." he said in a bored voice, turning and starting to walk into a room in the background. I raised an eyebrow at his back; from behind he was flawless as well. I looked at Ginger, who nodded and whispered:

"I told you so."

I smiled and saw that Eric had turned around, looking first at Ginger and then at me with a questioning look. I cleared my throat and followed him. Eric opened the door to his office and waited for me to go in first, holding the door. I smiled shyly, but he, again, just looked bored. I heard him inhaling when I passed in front of him and when I turned to look at him, moving away the black hair from my face, his eyes were narrowed, his eyebrows a bit furrowed. Eric coughed as he walked past me and sat in the chair behind his desk.

"What was my faithful employee talking about?" Eric said, moving some papers on his desk until he found a folder with what I recognized as my resume in it.

"Excuse me?" I said, not understanding him. Eric raised a blond eyebrow at me once again.

"Ginger has said 'I told you so'. What did she mean?"

I blinked a few times and then I opened my mouth, hesitating.

"Did you hear that, Mr...?"

"Northman. Eric Northman. And yes, I've heard it." He sighed, and said in a tedious voice. "Miss Corbett, I am vampire, and as such I have a special set of skills as a keen ear, superhuman strength and speed, etc… I assume you have not dealt with vampires before?"

I cleared my throat, assimilating the information.

"No. Well, yeah... not really, but..."

Eric raised his eyebrow a bit.

"Which of the two answers do we pick, Miss Corbett?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. Interviews always made me nervous, but this one was being extremely difficult.

"Well, Mr. Northman, I had been working, until a few weeks ago, at a bar here, in Shreveport, called _The Red Wolf_. As you may know, it's a place for..."

"Werewolves." Eric said. "I do not see how that information will help you to get a job in my bar."

"You haven't let me finish." I said, and he raised his other eyebrow. "There is where Shreveport wolves hang out, and some humans too." I shrugged. "Wolves' girlfriends or people who don't know where they're getting into. Anyway, I had been working there as a waitress for about a year, the pack master is a friend of my brother and knew I needed a job, he got me that one."

Eric straightened his back.

"Are we talking about Alcide Herveaux?"

I furrowed my brow, a little shocked.

"Do you know Alcide?"

Eric nodded quietly.

"I guess you could say that... we maintain a friendly business relationship."

I raised my eyebrows, pretty surprised.

"Really? I thought werewolves and vampires hated each other."

"And it is so, dear Miss Corbett. But Alcide has the power to avail me very occasionally. And we have a mutual friend." Eric bit her lip. "Why did you quit working there?"

"I was fired."

"May I ask why?"

"I fought with a client." Eric raised his eyebrows, demanding more details. "It was a werewolf, Rikki, and I refused to serve her the free drinks she was demanding. She did that yellow-eyes shit and said 'I'll tear you apart.'" I said, imitating the raspy voice of the wolf. "I threw a beer to her face, she jumped the counter, and I was kicked out the bar for the rest of my life. Werewolves like a lot that 'lifetime' things."

Eric chuckled, and I could see his smile was nice too. I noticed how I blushed and I swallowed hard, trying to stop it.

"Yes, wolves are greatly exaggerated. And in the time you worked for them, no vampire crossed your way?"

"No, Mr. Northman."

Eric moved so fast that I hadn't time to sink it in before I had him at an inch of my face. I looked into his eyes, his gaze piercing me. Or trying to.

"Are you being honest, Miss Corbett?"

I nodded.

"Of course, Mr. Northman." Eric looked confused and tilted his head, half-smile on his face.

"Because if you wasn't, you would say it, am I right?"

"I can't see why I have to lie to you."

Eric returned to his desk muttering something in that strange language. It seemed... Swedish? No idea.

"See, Mr. Northman, of course I've heard of the skills of the vampires. But I don't really trust wolves to tell the truth. You said yourself that they are greatly exaggerated." I bit my lip, hesitant to raise my next question.

"Miss Corbett, I can see a jammed question on your beautiful throat from here." Eric said as he returned to settle in his chair. I blushed visibly and Eric broadened his smile. He looked like he was having a great time with me. I ignored the compliment (I didn't know whether to like it or worry about it) and I half smiled.

"I was wondering if it is true that vampires can hypnotize people."

"We can... _usually_. We call it _glamouring._" I frowned, but I did not dare to ask anything else. "And Mr. Herveaux is informed of your dismissal, and this interview?"

I furrowed my brow a bit.

"Eh... As I said, he's a friend of my brother. I've known him since childhood, but my brother hadn't seen him for a few years until we moved to Shreveport a little more than a year ago. I haven't seen him in a long time, years. I don't inform him of every step I take in my life, but I thanked him for getting me the job through my brother, and for that matter, I neither inform my brother of everything I do."

"And your parents, Miss Corbett?"

Every time he said 'Miss Corbett' a chill went down my spine.

"They live in Jackson."

Eric nodded, eyeing my resume.

"Okay, and for which job are you coming?"

"Ah, I'm interested in the assistant job. By phone I was told that it would consist on doing daytime routine tasks that you can't do. I think I'd be good in that."

Eric nodded.

"Miss Corbett, I must say I found you very interesting. We will call you."

I nodded and stood up, Eric walked before me to open the door.

"Mr. Northman, is against me to have worked in a werewolf bar?"

Eric smiled.

"Knowing why you were fired, I would say no."

I smiled and left the office, Eric inhaled again when I walked past him, and I noticed how the hair on my neck got up.

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><p>When I left <em>Fangtasia<em> I lit a cigarette, looking at the sky, completely dark now. The vampire bar was removed from the core of the city, and my bike was in the garage, so I had to go like I came; walking. I squared my shoulders and started to walk down the side of the road, thinking about the strangest interview ever. I got _The Red Wolf_ job without any interview, Alcide had interceded for me, and, being the pack master, no one could deny his requests. Also, I was very good at my job. I'm good at serving people, I'm friendly, funny, I smile a lot and I listen to the customers who need to talk. But there are limits. I vaguely wondered if Alcide had heard something about my dismissal. I didn't think so, because if so, he would have called Ethan, my brother, and he would have called me to give me a lecture.

"Hey, you" a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I turned my head over my shoulder, only to see a group of four boys about twenty feet away. Human, thankfully. I decided to ignore them.

"I'm talkin' to ya, fangbanger!" Another guy shouted, and I hurried. Maybe I wasn't so lucky that they were humans.

"What's it? Ya don't like your own species?" Another voice yelled, and I was surprised to hear it closer. I turned around again. They were definitely closer.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted over my shoulder, and I heard his footsteps quickening. My heart started beating a mile a minute and I started running, throwing the cigarette to the floor. Wearing high heels, I knew they were going to catch me. And so it was, quickly a body rammed me, throwing me to the ground. My face hit the asphalt and I felt it burn.

"What? Ya don't like bein' touched by a livin' man?" The boy I had over me said, clutching my ass so hard it hurt. I turned quickly and hit a punch with all my strength; my hand hurt terribly, but I took advantage of the distraction to get up again and take off my shoes, I ran barefoot through the floor, heels in hand.

Soon, a tug on my hair made me stop suddenly, with a cry of pain. I turned, still screaming, with a shoe in my hand and hit him with all my strength. I froze when I saw that the heel of my shoe had penetrated the neck of my assailant, who looked at me with wide eyes.

"Oh, my God..." I mumbled, pulling the heel off his neck. A stream of blood left his body and the boy fell to his knees, I cried, frightened. "Oh, God! Sorry!"

"You bitch..." Another of them said, jumping to me and hitting me in the face with all his strength, I fell down and hit my head, something cracked. My jaw was on fire. I was half unconscious, but I was still feeling the pain, they were kicking my stomach and my legs, making me whimper, but my body didn't respond. I tried to move to protect the soft tissues of the body, my face, whatever, but I couldn't. I fell into a cloud of red pain and darkness while I listened to my own moans. Suddenly, I heard a scream, and I had to stop and think if it was mine. No, it wasn't.

I heard quick steps and cries of fear, after that some crunches and some sort of animal roar. Something warm and wet fell on my face; I closed my eyes as I felt another person's blood entering my mouth, mixed with my own.

Cold arms slid under me and lifted me in the air, I whined, everything hurt, I probably had a broken rib. Probably more than one. I noticed a sudden movement and I whimpered again, a change in the atmosphere around me surprised me a lot. Suddenly, I was on a soft and cool surface.

"Open your mouth, Miss Corbett." A distant voice said, but it was vaguely familiar. I obeyed, without thinking. A mild liquid fell on my tongue; it was sweet, thick and generated an incredible response in my body. With great effort, I raised my hands to find the source of where the liquid came, I grabbed the cold wrist with the little strength I had left and pressed it against my mouth, drinking directly from the open flesh. The more I drank, the more I wanted to drink, and I heard a distant moan that didn't seem of pain.

"Shhh..." the voice said, and pulled the wrist away from my mouth slowly, I growled, but I couldn't do anything to get it back. "Bedtime. When you wake up, you will feel better."

As if more than advice it would have been an order, I closed my eyes and I fell into a confused sleep.

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><p><strong><em>Translations: <em>**

_Nrdisrespect mig, Pam!- _Don't disrespect me, Pam!

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><p><strong><em>AN: <em>**_So this was chapter 1! I will post a chapter a week or so, maybe two depending on the week. Hope you like it!_


	2. Chapter 2: Wake Up

**_AN: _**_In case you didn't notice, you'll have a piece of a song in the beginning of every chapter… Consider them as the _All I Want_ Soundtrack. Oh, and thanks for all the follows and the favorites, remember that this author really likes reviews!_

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><p><strong><em>Chapter II: Wake Up<em>**

_Strawberries, cherries_

_And an angel's kiss in spring,_

_My summer wine is really _

_Made from all these things_

_- Summer Wine, _Ville Valo & Natalia Avelon.

I stretched my back still with my eyes closed. God, I felt great. I felt something cool and wet on my calf and I thought it was Elvis again, my dog, licking my legs. I suddenly opened my eyes. Elvis had stayed in Jackson with my parents. I looked down at my feet only to see Eric Northman grabbing my ankle, holding my leg up, licking the blood from my calf. I winced, moving away from him.

"What the fuck?" I exclaimed, blushing, and Eric looked at me with a raised eyebrow. The memories started coming into my head. The four vandals, the hitting, the screaming... that liquid so delicious. "It was you." I whispered, eyes wide open. "You saved me and gave me... what was it?"

"My blood." Eric said, looking my bloody legs. They were all I had bloodstained so I figured, with a shudder, he had licked my face and arms, and who knows what else.

"Your blood?" I said, kneeling on the bed. The white sheets were stained red, the room looked more like a basement, there were no windows, the walls were gray and just a few paintings adorned the bedroom, a closet and a bed were the only furniture. "Really?"

I looked myself up and down, _someone_ (I preferred not to think who it was) had removed my clothes and had put on me a T-shirt of the bar that said '_Fangtasia_' in large letters, and below, in smaller letters '_night begins with a bite_'.

"Yes, and I must say that thanks to it you are in one piece, no broken bones or internal bleeding. Don't worry if you feel a bit euphoric or stoned, my blood is pretty strong."

I frowned.

"V can heal?"

Eric nodded.

"I'm afraid so, Carrie. We drank blood of the other, so I guess there's no problem if I call you Carrie, right?"

I blinked, perplexed, and I bit my lip hard.

"Eric, did you drink my blood?" I said, crawling up to him. He smiled and reached out to touch my hair, but I declined, moving away.

"Only what was out of the body. I haven't bitten you."

I nodded and got close again, I sat next to him.

"I think I killed one of those guys." I whispered, letting go the thought that haunted me.

"Yes, you did." Eric said, taking a lock of my hair that was falling over my face and putting it back in its place, I left him this time, basically because my mind was far away from there. "And I killed the rest. Please, let's not betray each other, shall we? I've already taken care of everything."

I looked at Eric's face, for some reason he seemed more handsome than the last time I had seen him. His eyes were bluer, his hair more blond, his skin more perfect. His mouth was so tempting that I almost pounced on him.

"I agree." I whispered, looking at his mouth, biting my lip. He smiled. "Eric, are there any other side effects from drinking your blood beside the euphoria and buzz?"

Eric laughed.

"Well, you will notice an increase in your libido and you'll have funny dreams with me. Besides, your eyes, your ears and your smell will sharpen, and others will find you more attractive."

I put my hands on my face and I fell backwards, until I lay on the bed. My God, Charlie's warnings now were taking a new direction... _Charlie!_ If she hadn't called the police yet, it would be a miracle.

"Oh, god, where's my phone?" I said, rising abruptly. Everything started to spin around me, as if I was drunk, and I giggled at the feeling. Eric got up and grabbed me by the shoulders; his touch sent a shiver down my spine.

"It's here." Eric said, sitting on the bed and giving me my cell phone. "It didn't stop ringing, so in the end I picked it up. It was your friend Charlotte."

I opened my eyes as much as I could, looking at him incredulous.

"You have talked with Charlie? What did you say to her?"

Eric flopped on the bed; I could see he wore other clothes. A gray shirt and slacks, that looked on him like... _no, Carrie, focus_. That damn blood.

"I explained the situation to her. I mean, you'd come to an interview in my bar and you left the phone in here. I told her you'll call her when you got it back."

I unlocked the phone and blinked in surprise.

"Five in the morning? Is this right?"

"I'm afraid so, Carrie."

"I gotta go home." I said, getting up.

"I recommend you not walk back home with so little clothing. I can't go out and save you in the daylight. I will call you a taxi." Eric said, pulling his phone from his pocket, still laying. "By the way, I think you'll be pleased to know that the job is yours."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise, and waited for him to stop talking with the taxi company.

"You give me the job?"

"Yes, but there are some things to discuss. Some of your tasks will be daytime errands, but I also want you to work in my bar as a waitress on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays nights. I am generous with salaries, Carrie."

I blinked a few times, watching the vampire as he sat.

"I accept it."

"Very well. First order." Eric said, giving me an envelope. "Your CV says that you have your own vehicle, is it true?"

I nodded.

"Yes, I gotta go tomorrow... today, to get my bike from the garage."

"Very well, then take this to the bar Merlotte's in Bon Temps. You know it?"

"Yes, I've never gone, but I've seen it from the road."

"Perfect. You have to give this to Sam, the owner, from me. Sam needed my help to solve a problem with vampires in the area. I worked it out, and now he owes me a favor."

"Which favor?"

Eric smiled.

"I need Sam to find someone. I know he has good... smell. A human has learned things he shouldn't know about, and fled into the woods."

"What things?"

Eric rolled his eyes.

"He has some bank account passwords of Pam and myself."

"Who is Pam?"

"She's my associate. You saw her yesterday, and she spoke to you over the phone."

Ah, so the blonde vampire was Pam.

"What will you do once you find the human?"

Eric took a deep breath, as if he was trying to calm down.

"You know, considering that I can't glamour you, you shouldn't ask so many questions. Your work is your work. You just do it. And I trust you to be discreet and keep your mouth shut."

I swallowed.

"I understand, but I don't want to take part in a murder."

"I think you've already done it." Eric said with a smirk, and I grimaced. "But I don't want to get my hands dirty with the metaphorical or literal blood of this man. We will make him forget."

"What's in the envelope?"

"A photo of the man and a garment of his."

I frowned.

"A garment? The smell thing was literal? Is that Sam guy a werewolf?"

Eric sighed as he gave my purse to me, so I took it and stood up.

"Yes, yes and no. It's more interesting than a werewolf."

"A shapeshifter?"

Eric frowned.

"How do you know of the existence of shapeshifters?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I know, let's leave it there."

Eric looked me straight in the eyes, as if trying to decipher something and could not.

"The conversation is not over." He said. "But the sun is raising and I have to go to rest."

I nodded and went to the door, ready to go.

"Tell Sam to call me when he finds him, or bring him here, or call you." Eric said, throwing me a phone, I caught it on the fly. I was surprised by how quickly I had moved. "This is your work's phone. The number is recorded in the memory as well as the bar's, mine and Pam. Don't be naughty calling your boyfriend."

I nodded.

"I won't, not that there is such thing as a boyfriend to call." I said. "And if Sam calls me, what am I supposed to do with that guy?"

"Call me. Always, when you don't know what to do, call me. With practice you will know how to decide what I want you to do."

I sighed and opened the door, there were some stairs going up.

"Carrie." Eric said, and I turned to look at him while he unbuttoned his shirt. I swallowed. "You weren't surprised when I told you that I can not glamour you." This man had a great virtue to ask questions without actually asking them.

"It's because I expected it. I know I'm not normal." I said, and got out of there before he took the shirt off. That blood was so fucking strong.


	3. Chapter 3: The Simple Things In Life

**_AN: _**_Hello, my beautiful readers! Thanks for the reviews, the follows and the favorites, and I encourage you to take a look to my other two stories, a The Walking Dead one and a Criminal Minds one (Yes, I am promoting myself). With that said, let's go to the story… somebody wanted to see some Alcide?_

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><p><strong><em>Chapter III: The Simple Things In Life <em>**

_Now nothing seems as strange _

_As when the leaves began to change _

_Or how we thought those days would never end _

_Sometimes I'll hear that song _

_And I'll start to sing along _

_And think man I'd love to see that girl again._

_- All Summer Long, _Kid Rock.

I got out of the taxi and went running to my house, happy to say goodbye to the driver, who had been throwing be disapproving glances through the mirror, probably thinking I was a fangbanger. Not that I cared, but it's weird that somebody judge you like that without talking to you. Anyway, my house was waiting for me. It was small, with white walls, and was just outside Shreveport. It was perfect for me, with its porch, its garden, its white fence... I unlocked the door and sighed, not quite believing how strange it had been the day before. Because of the repairing sleep (literally) that I had enjoyed in _Fangtasia_, now I felt energized and ready to start the day. The problem is that no one had started the day yet.

I went upstairs and took off the promo shirt, putting it in the laundry basket, and then I went straight into the shower. Warm water felt really good, it relaxed even more all my muscles and took all the blood away. The only problem was that every time I closed my eyes, I saw Eric coming into the shower with me.

"Damn!" I said, turning off the tap and getting out of the tub, angry with myself and with him. That blood had saved my life, okay, but did it have to make me feel this way? It was like my whole body burn. I removed the fog from the mirror with the back of my hand and looked at my reflection. A young girl, with light skin and rosy cheeks, dark green eyes, full lips and black hair to her chest looked back at me. I moved a little closer to the mirror. Could it be that my eyes were a little greener? And my lips a little fuller? I looked down at my naked and wet body as I toweled myself. I was not tall, but I wasn't short, and I had wide hips, prominent butt and generous chest, but my waist was quite narrow. But, could it be that my chest was bigger and higher? Could it be that I hadn't an ounce of cellulite on my thighs anymore? I raised my eyebrows in surprise. It was like a 2.0 version of myself, the same Carrie, but improved. Maybe that vampire blood was not too bad.

As I dressed, I thought V addicts usually are not too attractive, and have that dirty haggard look that junkies have, no matter what substance they're addicted to. Maybe it was the abuse, or maybe it was that Eric's blood was special. I wondered how old he was. It didn't matter, as I didn't think drinking vampire blood very often, I was going to take this opportunity, I felt beautiful, and I was going to make the most of it.

I wore a red dress with thin straps and bateau neckline, belted at the waist and then it fell to the knees. I looked in the mirror, it was obvious that now it looked much better than before, adhering to the appropriate parts of my body and enhancing what it had to be enhanced. I wore a pair of black flat shoes closed around heel, but they left a couple of toes exposed, and went to dry my hair. I wasn't surprised that my hair was more lustrous and shiny. I smiled as I brushed it, it seemed to make perfect shapes around my face. I put just a little mascara and lip gloss, for the first time in my life I thought that putting my makeup will worsen my face.

I left my house a little after nine in the morning, after having breakfast, clean up a bit and keep an absurd conversation with Charlie through text messages. Charlie was living in Jackson, and we missed each other a lot, so we talked on the phone almost every day and try to visit each other when we could. I walked to the garage where my gorgeous was waiting for me, ready for the road. I jumped on her after paying the repair (the mechanic made me a discount) and I went to do a few errands. After that I returned home, I left the shopping, and was almost midday when I went to Bon Temps. If Merlotte's seemed well enough to me, maybe I would even have dinner there.

The place was cozy, familiar. It seemed to be the sort of place you can always find the same people, the place were everybody in the village came, faithful customers. Perhaps it was for this reason that everyone turned to look at me when I entered the bar. I smiled and walked to the bar. The bartender, a handsome, Afro-American, definitely gay man with false eyelashes, painted eyes and a turban on his head, looked at me with a smile.

"Look the pretty little thing the wind brought..." he said. "What can I get you, honey?"

I smiled at the compliment, a little hypnotized by his long eyelashes.

"A beer, please. And thank you."

The man winked at me and served me a bottle of Budwiser. I hesitated.

"Excuse me, are you Sam Merlotte?"

"I wish. If I were Sam, I would be out there having fun instead of having this sexy ass working in here. I'm Lafayette Reynolds, here to serve you, gorgeous."

I laughed.

"Name's Carrie Corbett, and I'm looking for..."

"Carrie?" A deep voice said next to me, and I turned in surprise to meet the man who had spoken. He was sitting a few stools away, he was tall, with broad and muscular shoulders, well, his shoulders and all his body. He was tanned, his black hair was disheveled and he wore a clearly flattering beard. His brown eyes sparkled surprised and his well defined lips smiled.

"Alcide Herveaux?" I said, squinting. "Is it you?"

"Carrie Corbett!" Alcide said, approaching to give me a hug, which I returned delighted. He smelled of Aqua Velva. "It's been a while!"

"Indeed..." I muttered, looking at the man in front of me. Okay, maybe he hadn't changed much since the last time I'd seen him, but he looked different. In addition, so far, every time I looked at him I only saw one big kid with frizzy hair and big ears who defended me and Charlie from school bullies, along with my brother Ethan. Although it was quite possible that he, looking at me, only saw the short and skinny girl with a dental corrector and an acne problem to who her books fell too often. "You look different, Alcide."

He raised his eyebrows, looking me up and down. I smiled, the vampire blood was on my side that day.

"And you, Carrie. You are..." He left his lips ajar, looking for the right word, and I waited with a half-smile on my face. The best compliment is to leave someone speechless.

"I think the word you're looking for is '_hot_', pretty boy." Lafayette said, snapping his fingers as he nodded his head. I laughed.

"Lafayette, I know this girl since she was born." Alcide said, I grimaced. "How old are you now?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Alcide, don't talk as if I was a child. I'm twenty-five, I can drink alcohol and everything."

Alcide chuckled and sat back, pushing a stool away for me to sit beside him.

"I see you're not a little girl anymore, Carrie. But the last time I saw you, you were... what? Thirteen?"

"Actually I think I was seventeen." I said, sitting beside him. "It took me too long to develop myself."

"But the wait was worth it, wasn't it?" Lafayette said, resting his elbows on the bar.

"Lafayette, I thought you liked men." Alcide said, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Lafayette gave him a skeptical look.

"I am an artist, wolf. I just admire the beauty."

I raised my eyebrows, surprised by the comment.

"Lafayette, can you lend a hand to Terry in the kitchen?" A very pretty blonde waitress said, passing by the side of the bar with a tray full of dishes in her hand. "Holly will stay in the bar, but the tables are crowded."

"And you're going to have one more." I said, smiling at Alcide. "What do you say? Wanna have lunch with me?"

Alcide blinked a few times and opened his mouth, trying to say something. Finally, he nodded.

"Sure, why not."

I grinned and said goodbye to Lafayette with my hand, grabbing Alcide's wrist and taking him to a free table. I couldn't close my hand around his wrist, how big it was. Plus it was on fire. We sat facing each other and took the menus.

"Hey, Alcide... what Lafayette said... does he know what you are?" I asked, looking over the menu. He looked back at me with a smile.

"Yes, Carrie, he knows."

"And you know what is he?"

Alcide frowned, tilting his head.

"I know something. But what you mean?"

"He's a medium, I think." I whispered.

"How do you know those things, Carrie?" Alcide said, putting the menu on the table. "I don't understand. Nothing in Lafayette says so."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"There is also a fairy around here." I whispered, looking at the list of meals. Alcide laughed through his nose, looking at the blonde waitress. He knew I meant her.

"I've always wondered how you do that." Alcide said, looking at me with a half-smile. I took a deep breath; I didn't remember him so attractive.

"You know, you could speak directly in plural. I know you mean Ethan too."

"Well..." Alcide began, but the blonde waitress came to ask us. She had a lovely smile, but I found it a bit forced.

"Alcide, I see you have company." She said, looking at me. _Uh, new girlfriend?_

"Oh, she's an old friend." Alcide said. "Sookie Stackhouse, Carrie Corbett."

I grinned.

"My pleasure, Sookie."

She stared at me for a few seconds, looking like she was fully focused. Then she shook her head and smiled.

"Same here, Carrie. What will you want?"

Sookie noted our order and then left, her ponytail bobbing behind her, and I looked at Alcide with raised eyebrows.

"She's very pretty." I said. "But what happened with Debbie Pelt?"

"What? Oh, Sookie and I aren't together." He said, shaking his head.

"Well, then you still with Debbie..." I said, and the disappointment was palpable in my voice.

"No, I am not with Debbie, see..."

I grinned.

"Thank goodness." I interrupted. "Because I swear I hated Debbie when we were at school..."

"I thought you'd know. She died." Alcide said, and I was shocked, mouth open and eyes wide.

"What-" I whispered. "What happened?"

Alcide shrugged, sighing.

"The former pack master murdered her. They had an affair."

I swallowed. Not that the world was a worse place without Debbie Pelt, but I knew that she and Alcide were a very united couple. I reached out and took Alcide's hand. He looked up at me.

"I'm so sorry. I know you..."

"I abjured her." He said in a whisper. _Jesus, how much information_. It wasn't my business, but I couldn't believe that Alcide, Alcide who started dating Debbie at... what, fifteen years? I was about eight at the time... they always went everywhere together, he always had a protective arm around her and everyone assumed that they would be together forever. Which, to my eight, ten or even fifteen years self, made my stomach sick.

"I'm sorry anyway, Alcide." I said. "Really. I know what she meant to you, no matter what happened to make you abjure her. You cared about her."

Alcide raised her brown eyes to mine and laced the fingers of his hand with mine. His hand was so hot, if it wasn't because I knew he was a werewolf, I would have thought he was sick. An electric shock went up my hand to my arm and my spine. A cough made me jump and let go Alcide's hand.

"Here are the drinks." Sookie said, putting the glasses on the table and turning away. I could not help but smile.

"Who would have thought…" I whispered.

"What?" Alcide said, opening his beer. I laughed.

"That one day a woman would be jealous of me because of Alcide Herveaux..."

Alcide narrowed his eyes, smiling.

"I'm not following you."

"Sookie!" I said in a whisper. "She's jealous. She wants some wolfish love, I'd say."

Alcide laughed.

"I'm afraid that ship had sailed." He said. "And what did you mean with 'who would have thought'?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, you know, I had a crush on you when I was a kid." I said, giving a sip of my beer. Alcide opened his mouth and his puzzled look was enough for me. "Ok, you didn't know. I just screw up. Can we get started again? Alcide, it's been a while since I last saw you!" I said, swallowing, feeling really uncomfortable. Alcide grinned.

"You had a crush on me?" He said, his smile widening more and more. "Well, that explains why your books fell each time we met. There was a time when I thought that you had a problem."

I threw a napkin to his face.

"Don't be mean! I was a little girl, and you are the best friend of my brother, seven years older than I, who always defended me from bullies at school. It's normal I liked you."

Alcide smiled, nodding.

"It's true, you and that redhead girl you always stuck with were continually in trouble. It was like you had a target on your forehead for school bullies. What was her name? Charlize?"

"Charlotte." I said. "Charlie. Yes, and she is an adult now, like me. She's engaged."

Alcide raised his eyebrows.

"God, it's hard to believe. I still remember her as a gangly teenager. Is she all right?"

"Yes, she's great. She has a clothing store in Jackson with her fiancé. Came to see me about a month ago."

"Next time she comes we can go out together." Alcide said. "And with Ethan. Remember old times."

I laughed out loud.

"Well, Charlie had a crush on Ethan at school. It would be like a childhood fantasy fulfilled." I said, still laughing.

"I knew that." Alcide said. "Ethan told me once. But if I had known you liked me..."

I raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"What? Alcide, you are seven years older than me. When you were starting going out with girls, I began to write complete sentences. And when I was fifteen and had my first boyfriend, you already had drinking age." I sighed. "Childhood loves are always like that: Impossible."

Alcide laughed.

"But now you're twenty-five and I'm thirty-two." He said. "And we're eating together. It doesn't seem so impossible looking at it like that, right?" I half smiled and looked down, just to hear him clear his throat. "I just heard what I said. Ethan would kill me if he had heard me."

"Speaking of Ethan," I said, changing the subject, more for him than for me. "Does he have adapted well to the new pack? You know how wolves are: it's impossible that they tell you anything."


	4. Chapter 4: Fire Away

_**AN: **I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, but my ff account has gone crazy and the story is being hard to publish u.u- but I'll try to post one chapter a week anyway. Thanks for your patience and your support, and now, with the story!_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter IV: Fire Away<strong>_

_ Knock me down is so in vain _

_I get right back on my feet again._

- Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Pat Benatar.

Alcide made a wry gesture, and then shrugged. "Well, Carrie, I'm not supposed to talk about the pack... but I'll do an exception." He said, I dedicated him a smile.

"The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club." I said. "Fire away."

"Ethan's part of the pack, all of them respect him a lot and he's the second strongest wolf." He said, and I could almost see how his chest swelled with pride. It was clear who the first one was. "And I think he has started a relationship with one of our wolves."

I raised my eyebrows, suddenly much more interested. "Really? What's her name? How is she?"

"Her name is Samantha, she's... a wolf. Impulsive, aggressive and passionate. But it seems they like each other."

I sighed. I just didn't like the sound of that. "And you, Alcide? Are you with someone?" I said, cocking my head. Sookie brought the plates before he answered, and I began to eat my Merlotte's special, a plate with potatoes, corn and some type of highly salty meat, waiting for his reply.

"No, no." He said. "I'm single. And you, Carrie? Ethan told me you were dating a guy he didn't like at all."

I sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid. Mark. It ended a few months ago."

"Can I ask what happened?"

"I dumped him because he was a jerk."

Alcide laughed and nodded approvingly. "You also have a wolf side in you, Carrie."

I swallowed with the fork halfway to my mouth. My parents were wolves, my brother was a wolf and I had worked for wolves until recently. But for some reason we didn't know, I wasn't a wolf. Alcide's comment was like a punch in the stomach. We continue eating in silence until I cleared my throat and looked at him, hurt. He bit his lip, realizing his mistake.

"Carrie I didn't mean..."

"And, hey, Alcide." I said, changing the subject. I knew he had tried to make me a compliment, and the vampire blood made me be in a good mood. "What are you doing here? How did we meet here?"

Alcide blinked a few times, absorbing the change of subject. "Ah, the bar's owner is a friend of mine. He called me to talk about a subject, but he's delaying..."

I left the fork on the empty plate. Food was great on that restaurant. "Are you friends with Sam Merlotte? Because I've come to..." I saw how Alcide incorporated a little and I shut up. I turned to where he was looking, somewhere behind me, and saw a man with brown hair streaked with gray, a stubble and in his late thirties. He had blue eyes and upturned nose, he was quite handsome. He was wearing a blue plaid shirt and tight jeans. Shapeshifter, I could see it from a mile away. Sam Merlotte, surely.

"Alcide!" The man said, coming to us, the urgency was reflected in his voice. "Come with me." Alcide looked at me and then looked at Sam. He pulled his wallet from the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a few bills, which left on the table.

"My treat." He said. "I will ask your number to Ethan and I'll call you, okay?" And he went to follow Sam to the street.

"Not even you believe that." I muttered, getting up and following the two men. I caught them up quickly, heading to a RV parked outside, in the backyard of the restaurant. "Sam Merlotte?" I said. "Sorry to interrupt, but..."

"Not now, honey." Sam said, turning momentarily. "Come back tomorrow, or this afternoon."

"Sorry, but I can't. I come from Eric Northman."

The two men stopped in their tracks and stared at me. _Oops_. It seemed that Eric was not their cup of tea.

"Eric Northman?" Alcide said, coming up to me with Sam behind him. "Carrie, what the hell are you into?"

I frowned, I didn't like that somebody talked to me like that, much less someone who was not my father nor my boss. "Well, Alcide, I don't think it's any of your business, but I work for Mr. Northman."

Alcide's brow furrowed a little. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday."

"Does Ethan know that?"

I rolled my eyes. "No, he doesn't. He hired me not even twelve hours ago, I didn't send a text to my brother every time a small change happens in my life."

"A small change?" Alcide said. The two men were now in front of me, just one step away. I lifted my chin. Jeez, Alcide had always been so tall and threatening? "Northman is dangerous, Carrie. Stay away from him. You don't know what..."

"Alcide, with all my respect, I'm not a wolf, so I don't give a fuck about your orders." I said. "Eric has been good to me, actually, if I'm here today is because of him. And I come to ask a favor to Mr. Merlotte on his name."

"Call me Sam, darlin', and no offense, but who the hell are you? How do you know her, Alcide?"

"She's the sister of a friend of mine, she..."

"She can speak for herself, thank you." I said, with a smile. "Sam, my name is Carrie Corbett, and Eric had put me up in the picture about your business together." I said, pulling out the envelope. "And he wants you to return the favor." Sam took the envelope and opened it. Seeing the interior, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Follow me. The two of you." Sam said and walked to his trailer. Alcide's anger was almost palpable.

On the couch of the RV, with several bite marks on the face and arms, the man of the picture that was inside the envelope was laying down. The man Eric wanted to get. "What happened?" I said, approaching him. He was asleep, or unconscious.

"This morning I went for a run." Sam said. "Something caught my nose and I ran to it. It was this man, he was on the floor, unconscious, I thought..."

"He's not dead." I said. "So it's not too late. I'll take him to Fangtasia."

"What?" Alcide said. "Fangtasia? You want 'em to eat him? I'll take him to a hospital!"

"And how will you explain it?" Sam said. "You've seen the bite marks?"

"We can say he was attacked by an animal, probably that's the truth."

I analyzed the wounds with my brow furrowed. "We can always say that you attacked him while you were a dog." Sam looked at me, puzzled. "Or maybe a fox... a dingo? That's exotic, Sam. What do you think, Alcide, what's more compelling?" I took a deep breath. "This man has been attacked by supernaturals. An animal probably would have eaten him or at least it'd done more harm. Somebody tried to kill him, and probably Sam scared the freak away. He has confidential information about Eric and his partner. I have to take him back." I had to bring him to Fangtasia, those were Eric's orders. I looked at the man straight in the face. There was something strange about him, though I didn't know say exactly what it was...

"Carrie..." Alcide began, then his frown deepened. "Wait, 'if I'm here today is because of him'? What did you mean?"

"Alcide, do you really think that this is the right time...?" Alcide looked at me and a subtle growl coming from his chest made it clear that yes, he thought it was the right time. I sighed. "I went yesterday to a job interview. Upon leaving, some anti-vampire guys jumped on me and gave me a beating. Eric saved me."

Sam frowned. "You don't have a single scratch." He observed. Alcide looked at Sam and then at me, then to the ceiling and finally to the floor. Finally, he looked up at me again.

"He gave you his blood, right? You let a bloodsucker give you his damn blood!"

I frowned, standing up. "Yes, Alcide, he gave me his blood. And now, instead of being dead because of internal bleeding, I'm here, alive and kicking."

"And you feel attracted to him." Alcide said, I gulped. "And he'll be able to locate where you are, and know how you feel."

My jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"

Alcide laughed, although it was not a laugh of amusement. "He hasn't even warned you about what his blood would do to you, has he?"

I breathed deeply, seeking a defense. Okay, Eric had forgotten to mention that little detail. "I don't care." I said. "He saved my life. That's enough."

Alcide shook his head. "He could've taken you to a hospital."

I laughed. "Alcide, I estimate it would have taken me about three minutes to die if Eric hadn't appeared. Or even less, because if it wasn't for that bloodsucker they would've continued kicking my stomach."

Alcide blinked a few times, taking in what I was saying. Finally, he cleared his throat and said: "And you're ok, Carrie?" Words seemed to have punched their way out of his mouth.

"Yes, thank you." I said pulling out my phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Fangtasia. Ginger sure is there. I'll let her know that we're gonna go."

Alcide growled. "You stubborn woman! Look, I don't warn you about Eric Northman because I'm a wolf and he's a vampire, I warn you because he's dangerous. And you, Carrie, I can't see how you would be able to defend yourself from someone like him."

I swallowed. "I grew up with wolves, I'll think of something." Alcide opened his mouth, preparing to say something, but I raised my hand. "If Eric is as dangerous as you say, you'd better go, because Sam and I are going to Fangtasia."

Sam and Alcide looked at each other. Sam shrugged. "It doesn't seem such a bad idea to me. Eric is a vampire, but not the most dangerous vampire we've met."

"Because we've never been against him." Alcide said.

I smiled. "Well, keep it up." And I dialed the call button. After two beeps, somebody picked up the phone. "Ginger, I'm Carrie. Get ready, I'll be there with a wounded man." I grimaced turned my head away from the handset. "Don't scream, please."

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><p><em><strong>AN:<strong> I know it was a short and kinda filling chapter, but it had to be like this. Sorry._


	5. Chapter 5: Sweet Dreams

_**AN: **Ok, ff is going crazy, but I managed to upload this chapter (I needed help, though). Thanks to all the follows the favorites etc., you guys are the best! Feel free to review or drop me a PM, I always love to know what you guys think. Translations at the end of the chapter._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter V: Sweet Dreams <strong>_

_Sweet dreams are made of this_

_Who am I to disagree?_

_- Sweet Dreams, _Euritmics.

We arrived at Fangtasia with Sam's truck in about twenty minutes and we hastened to put the wounded man in the bar. Ginger opened the door, trembling and moaning.

The man was named Tom Clearwater and he was from Kansas, according to his driving license. He was thirty-seven years and was unmarried. He was dark, with black hair, thin lips and brown eyes. A normal man. But he was into a lot of trouble.

Alcide had decided not to join us, claiming he had to return to work and that we will talk. I rolled my eyes. Surely that afternoon he and Ethan will go there looking for me. They could try.

"Ginger, do you have bandages and alcohol?" I said, looking at the jumpy woman. She nodded and disappeared behind a door.

"What are you gonna do?" Sam said.

"The only thing I know. Disinfect his wounds. Not that I think you have rabies or anything, but..."

Sam laughed, nodding.

"I don't know why it surprises me. It was obvious that Eric would tell you as soon as he sent you to talk to me."

I smiled.

"Actually, I guessed it myself. Not Eric's fault. And anyway, I would've known it when I saw you."

Sam sat next to me. The man was laying on the red sofa inside the bar and I was sitting in front of him in a chair.

"What do you mean?" He said, tilting his head slightly toward me.

"I'll tell you if you are sincere." I said. "Do I smell different from other humans?"

Sam moved closer to me and buried his face in my hair, I breathed slowly. The litmus test, I told myself. I had never dared to ask any wolf, because they don't respect other species, or a vampire, because I had never had dealings with them, and, frankly, I wouldn't have trusted their word. Not after learning that Eric had hidden me some effects of his blood.

I heard Sam inhale and exhale repeatedly, picking a lock of my hair and getting it closer to his nose, then he put his face closer to my neck until the tip of his nose touched my skin. I put up with a smile, thinking how absurd it was the scene.

"You smell..." Sam said, inhaling deeply. "So well... like countryside, grass... and... don't know... wood. It's a smell..."

He moved his body closer to me and I put my hand on his chest, pushing him away while I stared at nowhere. What I thought.

"Sorry..." Sam said, shaking his head. "I don't know what happened to me, I..."

"Don't worry." I said, looking at him. "I guess that means I don't smell like the others, right?"

Sam raised his eyebrows.

"No, I'd say you smell better than any human I've ever met." He admitted. I sighed.

"I don't know if that's good or bad, but not surprising." We looked at each other. "A deal is a deal, I would've known that you are a therianthrope just seeing you because I can recognize supernatural creatures just looking at them."

Sam frowned.

"I'm afraid I don't follow you." He said. "How do you do it? Just by looking, most supernaturals look human."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I've done it my whole life. It's like..." I twisted mouth, thinking. "As you or anyone distinguish men to women. It's obvious. For me it is so."

"But you don't know what you are." Sam said. I raised an eyebrow.

"No. And this conversation will be our secret, won't it?"

Sam nodded, and then Ginger came with the kit.

"Thank you, Ginger, you can leave if you want."

"N-no." She said. "I'm in charge of the bar. I'm staying."

I raised an eyebrow.

"I work here, Ginger. I won't steal anything or kill anyone."

The woman shook her head and walked away, she began to clear the bar. _Well, whatever._

I took off the man's shirt to discover a set of bloody bites, but what worried me was the head, it had an open wound, I assumed that was the cause of his unconsciousness. I dipped a gauze with alcohol and applied it on the head gently but firmly.

The man's face twisted slightly, but he remained unconscious. I disinfected the wounds taking my time, Sam stayed with me and we talked. He talked about Sookie after I asked him, and I knew she was that Alcide's mutual friend who Eric had spoken of. Sam didn't say it, but it wasn't necessary, it became clear that my boss and the waitress had a history together. Clever girl.

I sat on one of the sofas and rested my head back, closing my eyes. I felt a hand on my ankle and I opened my eyes, startled and puzzled by the proximity of Sam. But it wasn't Sam.

Eric was holding my ankles, each with one hand, kneeling on the floor. I looked into his eyes, his blue eyes were deep as wells. I swallowed hard, his cold hands grabbed me hard.

"Eric, what...?"

Eric raised his eyebrows, and that was enough to shut me up. My heart was pounding in my throat, I felt how my breathing quickened. With a movement so fast that the human eye couldn't catch it, Eric separate my ankles, opening my legs. I gasped as the dress slipped over my thighs almost to my waist, showing my underwear. Eric looked me up and down and a sort of growl left his throat. With a swift movement, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me down the couch, sitting me on his lap. His face was three inches from mine, his cool breath hit my face. Without thinking twice, I approached him, those blue eyes and his lips...

"Sam Merlotte, my faithful friend!" A voice said, pulling me out from my dream. I jumped, startled, and slipped off the couch, but I managed to stay sit someway. My heart was going a mile a minute, my whole body throbbed. I looked around, placing myself; I was at Fangtasia, with Sam and the unconscious man, and I figured they'd just wake up, Eric, Pam and the Afro-American vampire who I didn't even know how she was called. Ginger was behind the bar.

"It's nighttime?" I said, stretching my back. I was stiffed. "How long I've been asleep?"

"A few hours." Sam said, looking at Eric. The vampire was wearing a gray suit with a black shirt that looked almost indecent on him. I looked away and got up, swallowing. I blushed as I tried to forget the dream.

"Taking a nap, Carrie?" Eric said, walking past me to approach the unconscious man. "Have you dreamed something interesting?"

"No." I whispered, and he laughed softly as I approached the bar to grab a bottle of water.

"Cold?" Ginger asked.

"The coolest you have." I said, and I heard Eric laughing again.

"I must say I'm impressed." He said. "I didn't expect you to be so quick."

I sighed after giving a drink to the water, biting back the urge to pour it over me.

"Well, and I must say I was lucky." I said. "Sam will explain you."

The shifter proceeded with his story as I pulled a sandwich out of my purse and took a bite.

"Do you know? Now I miss it. A good peanut butter sandwich." A deep voice said beside me, and I turned to meet the Afro-American vampire. I smiled.

"Honestly, it must be a bit boring eating always the same thing, right?"

The vampire shrugged.

"It doesn't always taste the same. I guess eventually I'll forget the taste of the food."

I grimaced a little.

"I guess it's silly to offer..."

"It is." Pam said, dryly. I nodded, fighting back the urge of roll my eyes.

"I'm Carrie, by the way."

"I'm Tara." The vampire said, extending her hand. I shook it with a smile. "And Ms. Super Happy is Pam."

Pam raised an eyebrow at me and I nodded.

"I'll see you often." I said. "Eric hired me yesterday."

Tara nodded.

"I know. Welcome to hell."

I chuckled as I took another bite of my sandwich.

A few minutes later, Sam left looking angry and Eric approached us with a grin on his face.

"I love it when you go to ask someone a favor and you do it to them instead." He said, leaning on the bar next to me. "Now Merlotte owes me two."

I rolled my eyes.

"I think this has been rather a mutual favor, but you do your thing..."

Eric laughed.

"Well, sweet Carrie, you have to take the most of every situation."

"Speaking of taking advantage." I said, turning to him completely. "Do you mind if we talk for a second? Privately?"

Eric blinked, bored, and sighed.

"Sure, I can't see why not. Mr. Clearwater doesn't seem to wake up early..." I nodded and went to his office, he followed me with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose you know that being in a vampire's building, closing a door doesn't guarantee privacy."

I rolled my eyes.

"I know, but it's a human routine, and I need them or I'll end up sleeping in a coffin." I said. "But that's not what I wanted to talk about."

Eric flopped on the couch, on the side of his office.

"Go ahead, I'm all ears."

"This morning when I went to Merlotte, I've met Alcide."

"I am aware." Eric said. "Sam has informed me of his call to the wolf." Eric gave me a dazzling smile. "Carrie, do you intend to warn me that the pack will question me about you and me and some blood?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"No." I said, and Eric licked his lips. "I want to talk about the effects of your blood that you promptly _forgot_ to tell me."

Eric stood.

"Are you asking me to explain myself?" He said, a mild threatening hint in his tone. I gritted my teeth.

"I'm asking you to explain to me what I should be ready for."

"It's simple." Eric said. "If at any time you are in danger or you're scared, I'll know where you are, and I will be able to find you and help you."

"Ah." I said. Saying it that way, it didn't seem so terrible. Alcide had made it sound like the worst thing that could happen to me. "All my life?"

"Yes, while you remain human, I can find you."

I ran my hand through my black hair, puffing. Then I looked at him. He looked like he was holding back a smile.

"Do you do it with everyone you hire? For prevent us to betray you?"

Eric laughed, a low and amused laugh.

"Are you asking if I give my ancient blood to all the red-necks and strippers that I hire? To Ginger, to Yvetta? No, Carrie, I don't usually give my blood as easily as you seem to think."

That said, he turned around, opening the door.

"Ancient?" I said, following him. "How old are you? And who the hell is Yvetta?"

"You make so many questions that I will have a headache." Eric said over his shoulder as he headed to the unconscious man. "And it hasn't hurt me in over a thousand years, so it would be quite an achievement."

I swallowed. More than a thousand years? So...

"Then you're vampire since... when? Where do you come from? If you're so old, you couldn't be in America, so..."

Eric raised his hand, making me shut up.

"You haven't understood my hint about the questions?" He said. I twisted my mouth.

"I wouldn't say it was a hint."

Eric raised his eyebrows.

"Then you have understood that I want silence." The last word was a whisper.

I looked down. Eric was menacing, no doubt, but for some reason, I wasn't afraid of him. Yes, he intimidated me a bit, but I didn't feel in danger at the bar, accompanied by three vampires. Pam said something in that weird language I didn't understand.

"_Jag kommer att behöva stå ut med din mänskliga om och om igen?" _

Eric laughed quietly.

"_Pam, inte__människa__. __Inte__helt.__"_

Pam rolled her eyes.

"_Sookie__är__inte__. __Och det är__så irriterande som__en människa.__Eller kanske__mer.__"_

"It's funny." I said, lifting an eyebrow at Eric. "A thousand years and you haven't learned that it's impolite to speak in a language that only you and your partner understand. Don't you think, Tara?"

The vampire made a sound with her throat.

"Hell, yeah. I don't even know what language is that."

"It seems old Swedish to me."

Eric grinned.

"So you think my education is not up to you?" He said, with a half smile. "What could I do to please you?"

"For starters," I said, after clearing my throat, trying _not _to think in the double meaning of his words. "You could explain me what this guy really did to end up here."

Eric licked his lips, looking at me, thinking.

"He was spying us." He finally said. "And I'll find out why."

I nodded, determined to not asking anything else for the rest of the night. Honestly, you had to be stupid to spy on vampires.

"_Eric, __är vakna.__"_ Pam said.

"Here we go again." I growled.

"She said he is waking up." Eric translated, leaning to Tom Clearwater.

The man blinked a few times and opened his eyes, trying to focus. His eyes opened wide, his pupils dilated when he saw Eric, but before he could say anything, Eric had made eye contact with him.

"Hello, Tom. Don't be scared."

The man blinked a few times, his expression empty. I straightened up a bit, being aware that I was witnessing vampire hypnosis. _Glamouring. _

"Tom, why have you been watching us?"

The man swallowed.

"I don't know." He replied. Eric frowned.

"Did someone order you to do it?"

"I don't know... yes, I think so..." the man twisted his face in a gesture of pain.

"Who are you going to take the information to?"

"Nobody."

Eric took a deep breath.

"And for what are they going to use it?"

"For nothing."

"This guy has been glamoured already." Pam said from behind. "His brain is as messed up as Ginger's."

"What?" the waitress said, but nobody listened to her.

"Do you mean that if a person is glamoured very often, their mental health deteriorates?" I asked.

"Yeah. A lot." Tara said, nodding.

"Tom, are you aware that if you don't tell the truth, I'll kill you?"

Tears started rolling down the man's face, and I swallowed hard. I didn't want him to be killed. I didn't want to see anyone else die. I was using all my willpower to forget the image of the boy with the heel nailed in the neck, I didn't need more scenes to give me nightmares for the rest of my life.

"Please... I don't know anything."

"Eric, he knows nothing." I said in a whisper, and Eric broke eye contact with the man to look at me. Tom Clearwater looked around, finally conscious, and I could see how he slowly panicked. His brown eyes turned towards me and he opened them exaggeratedly, a raw fear gripped his face when he saw my face. His expression made clear that he knew me, and that he feared me.

"I told you to leave me alone!" He yelled, and lunged at me, throwing his hands around my neck. He threw me off the chair and I fell to the ground, while he strangled me, but suddenly he stopped constricting. Eric's hands were on either sides of his head and the body of Tom Clearwater fell on me, dead. His neck was broken.

"Twice." Eric said, removing the body off with a quick movement and holding my waist to help me up. Before I could react, he had his huge hand on my throat. He didn't squeeze, but it was painfully clear that it wouldn't be an effort to him to crush my trachea. "Now tell me what you know."

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

"_Jag kommer att behöva stå ut med din mänskliga om och om igen?" – _"I will have to put up with your humans again and again?"

_Pam, inte__människa__. __Inte__helt- _Pam, she's not human. Not entirely.

_Sookie__är__inte__. __Och det är__så irriterande som__en människa.__Eller kanske__mer.- _Sookie isn't either. And she's as annoying as a human. Maybe even more.


	6. Chapter 6: No One Can Hurt You

_**AN: **__Yay! Thanks to all the ones who followed or favorited the story, and to all the ones who reviewed. _

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><p><em><strong>Chapter VI: No One can Hurt You <strong>_

_Sometimes the curiosity can kill the soul but leave the pain_

_And every ounce of innocence is left inside her brain._

_- Her Name Is Alice, _Shinedown.

I swallowed hard, grabbing Eric's wrist with both hands. I frowned and looked him in the eyes. He was serious, his gaze was more threatening than anything I had ever seen, his fangs extracted, white and large. It was like I was being attacked by an animal.

"I don't know anything..." I muttered, struggling to keep the tears away of my eyes.

"And how can I trust you if I can not glamour you?"

I noticed my lips were trembling.

"I have no idea..." I stammered. "I don't know what you want me to say..."

Eric pursed lips, pinning me against the wall. The grip of his hand tightened. I couldn't hear anything but my breathing, my heartbeat in my ears and Ginger's screams.

"The truth." Eric growled. I couldn't help it, a tear fell down my cheek.

"I know nothing... I hadn't seen this man in my life... Eric, you're hurting me..."

Eric raised an eyebrow as I looked into his eyes. _Please, Eric, _I thought, _believe me, believe me, believe me… I am being honest…believe me! _He closed his eyes for a second before letting me go, I fell to the floor, on my knees, and grabbed my neck with both hands, coughing. My breathing was accelerated and the screaming didn't stop. An acute and unfamiliar voice in me sprang from my throat.

"Ginger, shut the fuck up!" I screamed, and the waitress closed her mouth, her eyes wide, her body trembling. I plopped down on one of the couches, trying to normalize my breathing.

"I believe you." Eric said, retracting his fangs. "Although I don't know why."

"Because I told you the fucking truth!" I muttered between clenched teeth, and Eric turned to me, kneeling in front of where I was.

"Carrie, can you find a logical explanation to Mr. Clearwater's reaction?" He asked softly. I shook my head.

"I don't know..." I said, pushing my brain to work at full speed. "Maybe... maybe he saw me in the werewolves' bar..." I reasoned. "Maybe he had problems with them too, and not just with vampires. Maybe he thought I was one of them."

"But you're not." Tara said.

"No, I'm not a wolf."

"Be honest, Carrie." Eric said. "Are you loyal to the wolves? Are you here for a reason I ignore?"

I growled. "No, Eric, unless you ignore that I need money to buy food and pay bills. And I don't give a fuck about your power struggles with the werewolves."

"What power struggles?" Pam said with a smile. "We are clearly superior."

I rolled my eyes and Eric sighed, standing up.

"Get up." He said. "You're coming with me."

I looked at him with a frown. "Where? Why? What will you do to me?"

Eric snorted. "I won't do anything to you, Carrie." He said. "But I have to bury the body, and Pam and Tara must take care of the bar. Also, I want you to come with me." Seeing that I didn't move, he raised his eyebrows. "That's a command, Carrie. Now."

I got up to my feet and waited while he wrapped the body in a sheet, trying to calm down and thinking about how I wished it was Alcide the one to feel my fear, and not Eric.

* * *

><p>I was sitting on the floor, on the dirt, while Eric was digging a hole. Beside me lay the body of Tom Clearwater, I tried not to stare at him with all my willpower. We hadn't exchanged words rather than indications or 'give me the shovel' and I began to wonder why he had wanted me to go with him.<p>

"Carrie." He said, like if he was reading my mind. "I feel your hostility from here."

I huffed. "What did you expect? You killed a guy _over_ me. You almost strangle me. I can't help thinking that you may bury me in that hole too." I mumbled, resting my head on my knees, hugging myself.

"If it reassures you, I have no intention of killing you. And I've never had." He said, leaving the hole with a jump. I looked at him. He was wearing gray dress pants soiled with earth and his black shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His gray jacket was on the floor, across the body. He was still handsome, but inside I wished I didn't think that.

"It reassures me. Sort of." I sighed, watching him as I stood up and began to push the body into the hole.

"You know I can do that, don't you?" Eric said, looking at me amused, with an elbow resting on the handle of the shovel.

"I need to do it." I grunted with the effort, and Tom Clearwater fell into the hole. I sighed, looking at the corpse that until recently had been a man. "I guess you're not in Kansas anymore." I sighed, and Eric laughed.

I went back to sit on the floor, I had goosebumps and I hugged my legs stronger than before, and rested my forehead on my knees, eyes closed. I had seen two people dying in two days, and three others had died in my presence, though I hadn't seen it. All of it since I had known that ridiculously attractive vampire. Each step I made convinced me more that Charlie and Alcide were right. Eric was cruel, immoral, cold and an inhuman murderer who only wanted-

"Here, you're freezing." Eric said, and I felt how a thin cloth fell on my shoulders. I looked up, surprised. Eric's gray blazer lay on my back. Eric was already throwing dirt into the hole with a slight frown. I put my hands inside the jacket's sleeves and retrieved the same position. It smelled of fabric softener, something sweet, clean. I breathed deeply. It smelled great, of fresh laundry. I looked up again.

"You know, Eric, I find you very mystifying." I said, cocking my head. He stopped for a second, then continued throwing earth.

"What a human feeling." Eric said. "Confusion."

"I didn't say you confuse me, I said you mystify me. It's not the same."

"Can you specify the difference?"

I bit my lip, thinking.

"Well, I feel confused when I don't understand what surrounds me and consequently I don't know how to act in a situation. But when I'm mystified, I do know how to act, what I don't know are the motives of the person or situation that surrounds me. You're mystifying." I explained.

Eric looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"And why is that?"

"Because you're unpredictable. Hardly anyone is unpredictable, but you surely are. When I think you're going to do something good, you act like a heartless bastard. And when I am convinced that you are cruel and inhuman, you make the kindest gesture that could go through that blonde head of yours. Given that you are burying a corpse, of course."

Eric's eyes narrowed slightly at my words.

"Carrie, I'm inhuman, simply because I am not mortal. But I don't consider myself cruel or a _heartless bastard_. In fact, I consider myself quite magnanimous and reasonable. It shows that you haven't met too many vampires."

I sighed, shrugging inside his jacket. "I guess I need more time to get used to you. If you don't kill me before. Or Pam."

Eric smiled. "Like I said, I have no intention of killing you. And neither does Pam. Would it be useful that I give you my word?"

I sighed, staring at the vampire's blue eyes. "Yes, it would."

He moved as fast as he could and I had him in front of me in a blink, I leaned back to put more space between us. He knelt in front of me, while I rested my hands on the floor behind my back. Eric bowed slightly to me, I felt the time slow down to a standstill. His closeness leaving me breathless.

"I give you my word, Carrie. I won't kill you, nor let anyone do it if I can prevent it."

I swallowed. The worst thing is that I believed him. And that's why my lips parted to say: "Eric, how do I smell?" The words left my mouth without my consent, and I regretted just when I said them. Eric leaned over to me and I stood still, rigid, while his nose stroked the curve of my jaw. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

"You smell of sea, sun and melting snow." Eric said softly, his voice sent a shock through my body.

"Eric, what am I?" I whispered, anguished. Eric raised his face until our noses almost touched.

"You're human, partly." He said. "And something else."

"But I don't have anything of a werewolf, right?" I asked, maintaining his gaze.

"I'm afraid not, Carrie. Werewolves don't smell this... _good_." He said, raising an eyebrow. From his tone, I felt that 'good' was an understatement. "Also I tasted your blood. And it was… _different_. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, absolutely. But strange."

"Eric, you promised me you would not hurt me." I said, swallowing hard after his commentary about my blood. He got up and kept filling the hole with dirt while I recomposed of his proximity. "But if you try again something like what you did today, remember that I didn't promise not to hurt you."

Eric laughed as he offered me his hand to help me up. I took it and got up, crossing my arms. "Was that a threat, Carrie?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Sort of." I nodded.

"Well, remember I promised I won't kill you, not that I won't hurt you."

I looked at him, swallowing. "In that case, I'll try not to provoke you, and you try not to strangle me."

Eric looked at me, half-smile dancing on his lips. "Deal." He nodded.

I looked at him as he walked looking down, hands in pockets, still smiling. "I mystify you too, right?" I said, cocking my head.

Eric smiled. "No, you confuse me."

I couldn't help smiling, but I turned my face so he couldn't see me.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: <strong>__The first taste of Eric being sweet (more or less). __Alcide will come back in the next chapter (briefly), but you, wolf girls, don't worry! He'll appear often in a bit ;)_


	7. Chapter 7: I'm an Adult

_**Chapter VII: I'm An Adult**_

_Now that you're grown up_

_You're old enough to know_

_An' you wanna leave me_

_You wanna let me go._

_- Shout, _Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

The next day I woke up late in the afternoon. Burying corpses was an exhausting task, even when I had done almost nothing. The vague memory of Eric smelling me in the cemetery made me blush while I showered, combined with the sharp images that were recorded under my eyelids of the dream I had that night. That morning. Whatever it was, but it had been a very explicit dream... I didn't know my imagination had that ability to create a naked Eric. But it had. And now I didn't know what to do to stop thinking about something else that wasn't in that concrete dream. I could almost remember how his mouth tasted.

Anyway, that night I had to work at Fangtasia, and honestly, deal with a sexy boss wasn't the biggest of my problems. For starters, I had the confirmation that I wasn't normal. Well, that I wasn't human. Neither a wolf. My parents, both were wolves. I didn't understand why I wasn't. Ethan had begun to turn when I was still very young, he was about ten years. But when I turned that age, nothing happened. Then came the twelve, fifteen, and it was becoming increasingly clear that I wasn't going to transform. The Jackson's pack tolerated my presence, at least most of them, but I was always excluded. At the end of the day, I couldn't be part of the pack.

And now, well, I knew I smelled different for vampires than to shapeshifters. Or at least for Eric than to Sam. I sighed as I dried my hair, looking myself in the mirror. The effects of Eric's blood had decreased, but I was still prettier than usual. I raised an eyebrow. Who knew how the night was going to be. Would they make me wear an Elvira dress? No... Would they? Eric had told me that my work clothes waited for me at Fangtasia with a smile... something gave me the creeps.

And rightly so. When I got to the bar, Pam kindly took me to Eric's office, where my work uniform awaited for me. A black leather corset and purple vinyl pants, with heels full of tacks and a spiked collar. I took the necklace with a raised eyebrow.

"Am I now a bulldog?" I said, looking at Eric, who smiled at me over his intertwined fingers.

"I'm sure you'll be very favored in these clothes. Will you know how to makeup?"

"Like a whore mixed with Marilyn Manson?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"How quickly you got it." Pam said, smiling at me with a raised eyebrow. With a resigned sigh, I grabbed my clothes and went to change to the small lounge, where I left my stuff. Eric's shout of 'if you want you can change here' made my cheeks burn.

_Don't be silly_, I told myself, _if you are going to work in a vampire bar dressed like this and smelling of sun, you better get ready for sexual innuendos_. I closed my eyes as I buckled the shoes. Yes, it would be a long night, and the first of many. But, certainly, it wasn't that the wolves were very subtle when they flirted with the waitress, so sure I wouldn't find anything that scared me. Or almost.

I left there after I painted my eyes like a raccoon and my lips maroon. I pulled my hair in a high ponytail. I needed at least some comfort.

"Do you allow me to tell you that you look delicious?" Eric told me when I got out, the bar was open.

"No, I don't allow you." I said, looking down. My boobs were so pressed that if they didn't burst against each other it would be a miracle. I looked at the different podiums to meet with several staff vampires and humans also disguised as a porn stars versions of Mrs. Lovett and I raised an eyebrow at a human who had already begun to dance, topless, looking at Eric seductively. She was pretty, but vulgar.

"That's Yvetta." Eric almost whispered in my ear, and I jumped. I hadn't realized how close he was.

"Don't tell me you're... you know, with her." I said, raising an eyebrow to Eric. "A thousand years haven't served you to refine your taste in women."

Eric reached out and gently grabbed my ponytail, placing my hair over my shoulder and stroking my clavicle with the back of his hand in the way. I kept looking at him with the same raised eyebrow.

"Not all women can be like you, Carrie." Eric said, giving me a tap on the nose with the index finger. I clacked the tongue, rolling my eyes. "And it's not necessary to be so fascinating to get laid."

"Don't tease me." I said, making a small pout. "I didn't want to mess with your human."

"Yvetta is not my human and..." Eric interrupted. "Oh, have you been researching about vampires? I would swear I have never mentioned anything about vampire-human relationships."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Wikipedia is an inexhaustible source of wisdom." I said.

"Well done, Carrie." Eric said.

"Yvetta ain't your human?" I asked, somewhat confused.

"No, Carrie, I'm afraid I am not that much interested in her."

"But do you have a human?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't. Why? Would you like to be? Are the dirty dreams fighting to come true?"

I laughed, to Eric's surprise.

"Look who asks too many questions now." I said, lifting an eyebrow as I headed to the bar moving deliberately slowly. Eric followed me with his eyes. "I dream with you because you gave me your blood..." I rested my elbows on the bar, leaning forward. "Is that you're tormented with dreams in which I'm the main character?"

Eric laughed, moving closer. The first customers entered.

"They don't torment me." Eric said, I raised my eyebrows. "Actually, I find them very funny."

That said, he turned and headed to the throne, on which he sat comfortably with his long legs spread and an attitude of 'I don't give a shit about anything'. I chuckled as my first client approached me.

* * *

><p>The night went by quietly. Well, all the quietly it can go in a bar, which means you don't stop, but all goes without significant incidents.<p>

While I mixed vodka with lime in a glass for a girl with blue hair, I looked at Eric between my eyelashes. He sat on his throne but suddenly, I saw how he straightened. I took a deep breath as I grabbed the money of the girl and looked for the source of Eric's concern, fearing the worst. And soon I found them, as I had imagined.

They attracted the attention terribly, dressed in plaid shirts and jeans in there. Alcide looked with suspicion at both sides, making clear that he was a threat and at his side, walked a shorter guy, but corpulent too, with dark brown hair over his shoulders and dark green eyes, a slight stubble. My fucking brother, Ethan, progressed between the vampires frowning and with his nostrils dilated. I looked back at Eric, who nodded, giving me permission to leave the bar.

I walked around the bar and I dodged a couple of vampires who wanted to tell me some dirty compliments, going directly to the two men. I stood in front of them with my arms crossed and a raised eyebrow, I was so angry I thought a vein throbbing in my neck would burst of rage. Alcide and Ethan looked at me hard for a moment, then they recognized me.

"Carrie!" Ethan said, his eyes widening. Beside him, Alcide had raised eyebrows, but he didn't seem upset. "What the fuck are you doing dressed like that!?"

"Working!" I exclaimed. "Now come with me out before my boss kick your idiotic asses with his expensive boots."

I turned around and went like a whirlwind through the back door, the two werewolves followed me.

"What are you doing here?" I said, biting my lip. They better say that someone was dying.

"We've come for you." Ethan said. "I won't allow you to work on a vampire bar, not when..."

"When what?" I said, lifting my chin. "I need the job, Ethan. And I don't know since when is your business what I do or not with my life."

Ethan took a deep breath, he was trying to calm down. "You have anything with that vampire, Carrie? Are you… _you know_… with him?" Ethan said, frowning and pointing toward the bar. "Alcide told me he made you drink his blood."

"That I did." Said a voice close to us, and the three of us turn to see Eric Northman approaching us. "I think if there is a problem you should talk to me."

I snorted. "Eric, no offense, but this is my thing. It's my brother, this is a family discussion."

"If Alcide stays, I stay." Eric said, standing next to me. Alcide stepped forward, throwing his shoulders back.

"Okay, guys, testosterone is going to poison me." I said, putting a hand on his chest and another in Alcide's, and separated them a bit. Of course, because they left me, otherwise I would not have be able to move them an inch.

"Carrie, I ask you to come with us." Alcide said, his voice deep, staring at me. I swallowed.

"I'm a grown woman, Alcide, although you may not know it considering you have come looking for me like I was a girl who has run away from home." I snapped. "Let me be clear about one thing. I'll work where I please, I'll do what I please and I'll fuck who I please." I said, my eyes wandering between Alcide and Ethan. "And now I'm gonna go back to work, and you two are gonna go do whatever you normally do a Thursday night. And you're not coming back."

"Carrie, you're one of us." Alcide said. "We just want to protect you."

"I'm not one of you." I said, approaching him. "I've never been, even though we tried to deceive ourselves. You had to know it, you can smell me. I like Fangtasia. And I'm going to stay as long as I can. Stop humiliating me, and go."

"But..." Ethan began.

"Please." I said, but I looked at Alcide instead of my brother. He looked back at me and sighed, nodding. He reached into his back pocket and handed me a card.

"We're leaving, Carrie." He said. "But if you need something, anything." He said, briefly looking at Eric. "You call me and I will come for you."

"I don't think that's necessary..." Eric murmured and I hushed him. He rolled his eyes, but he shut up.

"Thank you, Alcide." I said, and he turned, surrounding the shoulders of my brother with his huge arm and away from there. I huffed and I turned to look at Eric, frowning.

"What?" He said.

"What a help you are!" I snapped. "Did you want a fight, or what? The only thing you and Alcide forgot to do is piss around me to mark territory!"

Eric laughed, shaking his head. "That's precisely why I decided to come. Because I've seen the desires of Alcide from inside the bar."

I bowed my head. "I don't know if it's because I'm so angry I can't think, but I don't follow you."

Eric raised his palms. "The wolf is attracted to you."

I blinked a few times without understanding. "Sorry, what?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "He wants to rip those expensive leather clothes out of you and make you little wolves. Carrie, are you not aware of how men in general look at you? Supernaturals in particular?"

I cocked my head to the other side. "Eric, I'm not in the mood, really. Come on, I have to go back to work or my boss will fire me." I stood still for a moment and turned on my heels to look at Eric. "Why the fact that, as you say, Alcide wants to sleep with me had brought you out? In what kind of world is a bad thing that a tall, dark, handsome and strong man wants to get laid with you?"

Eric smiled grimly.

"In my world it's a bad thing." He said, heading for the bar. "And I don't like that it seems good to you."

I raised my eyebrows, smiling and following him.

"Well, get ready to get really upset because more than good, I think it's awesome."

Eric gave me a sideways lethal glance and I laughed out loud.

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><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__More Alcide in the next chapter, I promise!_


	8. Chapter 8: I Need Action

_**AN: **__Woah, guys. Really, thanks for all the follows and favorites, and the reviews! I say the same in every chapter, but- You're my lovely perfect readers! Thank y'all!_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>__** VIII: **__**I Need Action**_

_I put up no resistance_

_I need to stay the distance_

_I got an itchy scratch_

_I need assistance_

_Touch-a, touch-a, touch-a, touch me,_

_I wanna be dirty._

_- Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me, _The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

"You motherfucker!" I yelled. "Bastard… fucker… you… son… of…a… bitch!" I screamed as I kicked the boiler.

That morning I had gone to take a shower, needing it badly after a particularly hard night at Fangtasia, and I had met a splash of cold water, instead of that warm water so precious and loved. I had discovered that Saturday, as expected, Fangtasia collapsed to the point that people could barely move. Vampires accumulated dancing with fast and graceful movements while humans drooled around them, and more that one scene seemed funny to me. If somebody said again that they are the vampires who attack humans, I would laugh in their face. Humans couldn't look more eager! They were practically begging for a fuck and a bite, not necessarily in that order. And it was ridiculous the amount of people who came to Eric every night, trying to 'volunteer' to him. Men and women of all ages. Eric remained undaunted by their attempts, kneeling in front of him and everything, and every time I saw this, I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You know him?" A girl with many piercings and short, tousled black hair asked me.

I smiled. "Sure. He's my boss."

"Wow, and you know him well? How is he?" Said the girl, her eyes wide.

"He's..." I said, and looked up, meeting Eric's gaze. He raised an eyebrow at me and made a subtle hand gesture, pointing his throne. Okay, I know how to take a hint. These people wanted me to tell them mysterious and intriguing things about vampires, not that he was 'a nice guy'. "He's unique. He has lived a thousand years, you know?"

The girl opened her mouth. "Really? And how it is to be with him every day?"

I looked up at the ceiling one second. "Well, he's unpredictable, and a little bossy, but is still the most interesting experience I've ever lived." I admitted. "Eric treats me pretty well. Not everyone can say that about him."

Ginger made a sound of disgust with her throat as she passed behind me. I smiled. Ginger was looking forward the day Eric would finally succumb to her charm, and the attention he lavished me lately disliked her, though what we did mostly was make fun of each other.

"So... have you been with him?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I smiled.

"Yes." I lied, smiling. "Everyone should sleep with a vampire at least once in their life. Although with Eric, once is not enough." I said, looking at Eric for a second. He didn't look at us, but I saw how he put his hand over his mouth to prevent us to see his smile. The girl bit her lip and looked back toward the throne.

"Mind if I go talk to him?" She asked. I laughed.

"He's a vampire." I said. "Not my boyfriend. Have fun."

The girl left with a nervous smile and I laughed heartily, addressing myself to serve a redheaded vampire who must be very young, because he seemed really disoriented.

At the end of the night, I left the room for employees with my jeans, my shirt and my old Converse, counting the abundant tips. God, I was going to make a fortune working on that place. With corsets and leather pants, every time I moved, a dollar fell.

"Good job." Eric told me, and I looked up, I had almost collided with him while I was immersed in my money ecstasy.

"Did you see?" I said, showing him the bills before putting them inside the wallet. "I think I'm your most prolific waitress."

Eric smiled. "It was clear when I saw that all clients were stacked on your side of the counter." He said and cocked his head, smiling. "Today has been one of the most profitable days of Fangtasia, and I have a slight feeling that's partly because of you."

I rolled my eyes, heading for the exit. "Oh, Eric, don't exaggerate. I'm just a waitress." I said, opening the door.

"I've heard that before." Eric whispered behind me, but I left without saying anything else.

I arrived home busted, my feet were hurting exaggeratedly because of the heels/torture machine to which Eric subjected me, and my back was killing me. I undressed and went to bed without doing anything else. And the next morning when I went for a relaxing warm shower, my boiler had stopped working.

I've never been a big fan of cold showers, so I thought I would devote to do some household chores and would try to take a shower later. In the end, it was Sunday and I hadn't anything to do.

I wore a skin-tight tank top and some shorts that gave me full mobility, the type that my brother would have disapproved. I don't know why, that thought made me smile. I hadn't heard from him since he had gone to Fangtasia with Alcide, and honestly, I was glad about it. Right now, Ethan was one of the people who most bothered me in the world. No matter how much I loved my brother, he had behaved like a jerk. Thinking it twice, we never really got along. We were too different, and most of time we were arguing. With a shrug, I pulled my hair in a bun at the crown and got to work.

I cleaned the bathroom, the kitchen and vacuumed. While I smoked a cigarette in the kitchen, I looked to the garden. The grass was growing, and was beginning to look run down. Rolling my eyes, I took the mower and went outside. The sun fell hard on me and I groaned, starting to move the machine through the garden.

"Buy a house with a garden, I thought..." I muttered as I paced back and forth, mowing the lawn. "Green grass is very nice, I thought..."

During my fit of repentance, I saw a maroon van arriving at my door. I stopped what I was doing and I put a hand over my eyes to see beyond my nose without the sun bothering me. A tall, dark, bearded man got out the truck, wearing a brown T-shirt and dark blue jeans.

"Alcide!" I exclaimed, waving to him. "Hi!"

Alcide approached me, smiling. "Hey there, Carrie. Ain't you gonna kick me out?"

I laughed. "Wasn't thinking about that, why? Have you done anything else? Have you burned Fangtasia down?"

Alcide laughed. "No, but I thought you'd still angry."

I shook my hand. "I'm still mad at Ethan. But I know he convinced you to go and if it wasn't for you, probably he would've transformed and Eric would've killed him. And the worst is that I couldn't blame him." I shrugged. "I'd give you a hug, but I hadn't stopped in all morning and I'm disgusting right now."

Alcide raised an eyebrow at me. "That's not the adjective I was thinking about..."

I laughed, motioning him with my hand to follow me as I turned around and headed home. "C'mon, let's drink something. Anyway I was thinking of making a break for lunch..."

"I'm not bothering you?"

I looked at him rolling my eyes. "Alcide, don't talk nonsense or you'll bother me."

Alcide chuckled and followed me inside to the kitchen. It was hot and when I took the first sip of the beer I grabbed from the fridge, after giving one to Alcide, I couldn't help but moan with pleasure.

"God, the best invention ever: beer. Sit down, Alcide." I said, as I sat on the couch in the living room. Alcide sat beside me while subtly looking around.

"Nice house." He said, raising his beer in my direction. I smiled.

"Well, it was like super cheap because it's away from the city and is small for a family. Just a room, and a bathroom, and upstairs, but I loved it." I said, shrugging. "I didn't want to end up living in a loft like Ethan, you know? I always liked to live in a house."

Alcide nodded. "Yeah, I understand. I thought the same when I came to Shreveport. Although, of course, I didn't come alone." He said, wincing. "But I also like to live in a house, though sometimes it's a little big to me."

I rested my elbow on the back of the couch and let my head rest on my hand. "You miss her?" I asked. Alcide shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

"I miss the person she was, not who she became at the end." He said. "Sorry about how I reacted the other day at the vampire blood thing. Debbie was addicted to V and I wouldn't want you to end up like her."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? I didn't know there are wolves that drink V."

"You'd be surprised." Alcide said.

"Anyway, you don't have to worry about that." I said. "It was the first time in my life to drink it, and I didn't even know what it was. I haven't noticed any kind of longing as the effects have passed. But I'm alive, and that's what I appreciate."

Alcide nodded. "I understand. But be careful, ok? You wouldn't be the first girl who goes to work at a vampire bar and becomes an addicted to V fangbanger."

I laughed. "Alcide, before that I think it's necessary to be quite predisposed to, or be glamoured. And I can't, so..."

Alcide nodded, his hand stopping, the beer halfway his mouth. "They can't glamour you?"

I shook my head. "Nuh-huh. I don't know why, but no. Eric tried and failed." Alcide swallowed, staring at me. "You can tell Ethan, if you want. I imagine that he sent you here."

Alcide half smiled. "No, actually I don't think he'll like knowing I'm here." He said and frowned. "He's a little angry with me for force him out. And really angry with you for working at Fangtasia. Additionally, he's sure you have something with Eric."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a subtle way to ask me?" I said. His lips lifted with a lopsided grin.

"Maybe."

"I haven't anything with Eric, except a healthy boss-employee relationship and I think a budding friendship." I said. "I like Eric: he's funny, sarcastic and unpredictable. Unpredictable, like a vampire, not fickle, like a werewolf."

Alcide laughed and it sounded like a bark. "You think I'm fickle?"

"No, but Ethan is, most werewolves are. You know, any other pack master, the other day, would've picked me up, would've put me on his shoulder and would've taken me. Lucky me, you're not like that."

Alcide leaned back on the couch. "Ethan is disappointed with me." He muttered. I knelt on the couch and leaned toward him, putting a hand on his leg for balance.

"He'll be fine." I said. "I know my opinion isn't as important as his to you, but if you had behaved like any other wolf, I wouldn't have looked at your face never again. And I wouldn't be fine about it."

Alcide turned to face me, our eyes met. "Where did you get that from?" He said. I looked to the sides, without understanding.

"What?"

"That your opinion ain't worth as much as Ethan's."

I smiled, shrugging. "Well, I draw on thirty years of friendship against one meal, one day, in which we ended up fighting."

Alcide bit his lip. "And yet, I couldn't bear the idea that you were mad at me the other day."

_Oh my fucking God_! Eric was right, Alcide was attracted to me. Now that I was paying attention, I could see his whole body language supporting that theory, his little smile, the way he looked at me... and only that was enough to make me giggle like a fool and get away from him, looking away.

"You know," I said, changing the subject. My body rebuked me, complaining about the distance. My head had recommended me to get away, but my body just wanted me to get closer to him, to touch him and to be touched. I was at a point where I didn't know if it was for the vampire blood, if it was for him or if it was for me. "Can you think of someone who works on Sunday and who can fix the boiler? It went to hell this morning."

Alcide raised his eyebrows. "Can I take a look?"

"Sure." I said, getting up and taking him to the kitchen, I opened the cupboard where the boiler was, crouching. Alcide crouched beside me and began to look at things I don't even know how they're called, I leaned a little into the closet, trying to see what he was doing with a frown. Alcide turned to face me in the time that I turned to him to ask him if he really knew what he was doing, and our eyes met, our noses touched. An indecent amount of inappropriate images began to march through my mind, many of them related to tear clothes apart and with those so incredibly large hands. I swallowed, looking into his eyes and looked away, back to the boiler.

"Do you have tools?" He asked, his voice muffled. "I think I can fix it."

I nodded and got up to get the tool box, thinking that perhaps not being able to take a hot shower didn't matter now. A cold one would be nice.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN2: <strong>__Here we got some Alcide/Carrie scenes… well, well… who you like better? Alcide or Eric? Who do you think is better for Carrie? In the next chapter, more Alcide, and some Eric. _


	9. Chapter 9: I'm Not So Naive

_**AN: **__Thanks for all the reviews, my lovelies! You must know that every review makes me smile and lightens my day, and I love to hear all your opinions. In this chapter I'll introduce you one of my favorite OC's, hope you like her! Now, let's go with the story!_

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><p><em><strong>Chapter<strong>_ _**IX: I'm Not So Naive **_

_I never wanted to say this_

_You never wanted to stay_

_I put my faith in you, so much faith_

_And then you just threw it away._

_- For a Pessimist I'm Pretty Optimistic, _Paramore.

Alcide had been in my kitchen for two hours, trying to fix the rebel boiler, and I couldn't tell which one of us was hotter. If he, who was sweating due to the heat going off the pipes and the effort to fix the damn thing, or I, seeing him, who, poor thing, was so hot that he had to remove his shirt. He was kneeling in front of the open cupboard, I didn't know anyone could be so well-built. His body was just perfect, there wasn't a thing out of place, nothing that could be improved, even the drops of sweat looked good on him.

"Okay, I give up." I finally said, and I approached him, crouching beside him. "What do you want me to do?"

Alcide raised an eyebrow at me. "What you mean? Wanna be my assistant?"

I nodded vigorously. "Yeah, you're Batman, I'm Robin, you're Harry and I'm Ron, Frodo and Sam, Rick and Daryl, you get it?"

Alcide laughed, shaking his head. "I get it, I get it..." he said. "What I don't understand is why."

"Because if I keep sitting there watching you here sweating shirtless I'm gonna suffer a spontaneous combustion, I rather have my hands full."

Alcide opened his mouth, a small smile spread across his lips. "Well, take care of the tools." He said, shrugging his shoulders and stooping to get under the boiler.

"Ok, tools, fine." I said nodding and sitting on the floor, leaning my back against the cupboard under the sink. Alcide laughed quietly.

"Carrie, you've always been pretty special, but over the years I think it had increased." He said, his voice muffled from inside the closet. "Wrench, please."

"If you want to call me weird, just say it, Alcide." I said, giving him a wrench. "I've never been much on subtlety."

"I said what I meant." He said, taking the tool, but instead of grabbing the wrench, he took my whole hand, and got out from under the boiler. He sat up slowly and looked at me from my legs to my face, I felt like a drop of sweat fell from my neck to my cleavage.

"Well, 'special' sounds awful to me it. Sounds like 'you're so strange that there isn't even a word to describe you'." I said, swallowing.

"No, when I say special, I mean you're unique in your species, in the best sense of it." He shrugged, his chest muscles contracted and I closed my eyes momentarily. "I always thought you were somewhat different from all of us." I rolled my eyes, but before I could say anything I felt his hand on my chin, lifting my face to look him. "When did you stop being Ethan's little sister to become such a beautiful woman?"

I took a deep breath through my nose. "I've never stopped being Ethan's sister. And I'm a woman since a long time ago. Perhaps the question you are looking for is why you weren't here to witness the change?"

Alcide half smiled and lowered his fingers from my neck to my collarbone. I thought briefly of raising my hand and grab his hair and pounce my mouth against his, take those jeans off him and get carried away right there on the kitchen floor. But it was a brief thought, because someone knocked on the door.

I closed my eyes, nodding.

"Fate has spoken." I said, getting up and leaving Alcide there, his hand suspended in the air and a sudden expression of guilt. Another knock on the door, more insistently.

"I'm coming, I'm coming, what a..." I said, but when I turned the corner I saw who was on the other side of the door and I screamed heartily.

"Carrie!" Alcide said from the kitchen, and I heard how he rose as I opened the door in an instant and threw myself into the arms of my friend Charlie, both screaming with joy. Her curly red hair got into my mouth, but I didn't care. "Damn, you scared me..." Alcide whispered, and we both turned to him.

"Carrie, you didn't tell me..." Charlie said with a raised eyebrow, then squinted, looking at the shirtless man with the wrench in his hand even more intently. "Wait a… Alcide Herveaux? Is that you? That kid with the big ears who always went with Ethan?"

Alcide sighed and raised his hand, holding the wrench, in a greeting. "Yes, that's me. And you are Charlotte Deveraux, the skinny redhead who always went with Carrie, right?"

Charlie gave him a smile full of white teeth. "That same lovely lady." She said. "Although I'm not skinny anymore..." she said, making a supermodel pose to make her breasts stood out. I gave her a smack in the nape of her head.

"Don't listen to her, Alcide. They are as fake as the wigs of _Twilight_."

Charlie elbowed me in the ribs, entering the house with her suitcase. I frowned, the suitcase was bigger than usual.

"Did I interrupt something?" She said, looking at Alcide from behind while he was looking at me with a raised eyebrow. Yes, we all have our share of irritant friends in our life, Charlie was mine. She looked Alcide up and down and gave me a thumbs up, mouthing: "Oh my God". I pursed my lips, sighing through my nose.

"No, Charlie, don't worry." I said, looking at Alcide with the same face which what he was looking at me. "How big is that suitcase. How long will I enjoy your company this time?"

Charlie swallowed and smiled, though her sky blue eyes didn't look very happy.

"Indefinitely." She said. "The engagement has been canceled. It turns out that Dylan is cheating on me."

* * *

><p>I served three plates with potato stew, Corbett's recipe, and brought them to the kitchen table.<p>

"Um, yum." Charlie said, taking hers. "Your potato stew is the best in the world."

I smiled, sitting down with Charlie and Alcide. My friend had called all type of names to her ex while I nodded, handing tools to Alcide whenever he asked me. I didn't understand even half of what Charlie said, as she let out a few words in French, a legacy of his grandmother, and because the sentences were disjointed. I whispered to Alcide that he could leave whenever he wanted, but he was determined to fix the boiler before. And he did. The least I could do was giving him a hot meal as compensation. I had gone to take a quick shower and now I was wearing an apple green cotton dress, to the half of my thigh, and I had done myself a bun with my wet hair. I was in a hurry, I didn't want to leave Alcide much time alone with my psychotic friend. Now the kitchen was cool again (apparently it had a blockage in the water pipes and therefore it was overheating, or that's what I understood, though I'm not sure it makes sense) and the hunger made my stomach rumble. Charlie had slightly calmed already and we could eat like normal people.

"Can you tell me now what happened?" I said, putting the first spoonful in my mouth.

Alcide rolled his eyes. "Pardon the interruption, but Carrie, this is great."

I smiled. "Family Secret, but I'll make it to you whenever you want." I said. "Now shoot, Charlie." Charlie continued eating in silence. "Charlotte Caroline Deveraux, you better start talking." I commanded, pointing her with my spoon.

"Not much to tell." Charlie said, looking at me between her reddish eyelashes. "He was fucking Tina."

I raised my eyebrows. "Tina? As Cristina Lloyd, that Tina? The clerk at C&D?"

"Yeah, that bitch. I saw them making it in the dressing when they thought I wasn't there. I thought it would be two teenagers, so I went to kick them off... but they weren't two teenagers. They were my fiancé and my employee."

Alcide and I sighed, looking at Charlie.

"When you talk about Dylan, you talk about Dylan Carter, right?"

"Yes, Alcide, that one." I said. "And he's a wolf."

Alcide nodded, looking at Charlie.

"Yes, I know all about werewolves, blah, blah, blah..." she said.

"You couldn't eat him, or something?" I said, looking at Alcide, Charlie laughed.

"No, Alcide, don't eat him. He's full of shit."

Alcide smiled as he took a sip of his beer.

"Look, Charlie, I know that now everything looks horrible, but it will be okay... remember when I broke up with Mark." I said, smiling reassuringly. She rolled her eyes.

"Carrie, you broke up with Mark because he was boring and couldn't get a boner." She said and I choked with my beer. "You've never been in love... I don't want to offend you, but you don't know shit about what I feel. I've been dating him for eight years." She said, her eyes widening. "Eight! I've been with him since I was seventeen! He's the only man I've been with..." she said shaking her head. "Your longest relationship was with that Rastafarian who turned into a boar. And I think it lasted three months."

I smiled. "Ah, yeah, Johnny..." I said, remembering that guy. "I think we dated for four months, actually."

"Whatever." Charlie said. She sighed and I looked at Alcide, who looked at us with his lips ajar. I had forgotten he was there.

"Um, so..." Charlie said, looking at me. "Tell me about this vampire with the sexy voice you work with. My panties almost fell off when he picked up the phone."

My hand stopped halfway to my mouth, while I looked sideways at Alcide.

"He's my boss, Charlie. And I've already talked you about him on the phone..." I muttered, turning my head toward her and moving my eyes to Alcide to point at him with them without him seeing me. Charlie opened her mouth and nodded.

"Ooooh... yeah... it's true, you said he was..." She swallowed. "Super... boring and so... of course..."

I rolled my eyes and continued eating, not without dedicate an innocent smile to Alcide, who raised an eyebrow.

* * *

><p>"Well..." Alcide said, turning to look at me from the doorway, I held the door open. "It's been... interesting."<p>

I laughed. "I bet you have a headache." I said, shrugging. He smiled.

"It's worth it." He said, stepping a little closer to me. He put his hands on my hips and looked into my eyes, I lifted my face to his, he was a head taller than me. "When I'm with you I feel great, Carrie. You're like..."

"Heroin?" I said, and he laughed. I gave him an innocent look.

"I wouldn't say that, but it's ok..." he said, tilting his head slightly toward me. I smiled while I tiptoed.

"Carrie! How the hell works your TV? There's no way to turn this bitch on!"

I turned my face towards the inside of the house when Charlie yelled, accidentally avoiding Alcide, who sighed and straightened up, letting me go.

"Fate has spoken. Again." I said, looking apologetically at him.

"Fate's an asshole." He said, turning to leave while I laughed. Before lowering the top step of the porch, he turned. "You really dumped a guy because he couldn't get a boner?" he asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"I'm very picky."

Alcide laughed and went away, I watched him walk until he got into his truck and drove off, a smile still dancing in my face. I closed the door and turned around, shouting:

"CHARLOTTE!" and headed to the living room, where Charlie fought with the TV remote. "I'm gonna kill you!" I said, pointing her with my finger. She jumped on the couch, raising her fists. Charlie was small and thin, but the miracles of surgery had gotten her a pair of big round boobies. I still remember how I died of embarrassment when I accompanied Charlie to the surgeon and she said she wanted a couple like mine. Although they looked huge on her, being shorter than me. Her curly red hair bulged a lot, which got her in high school the 'Sideshow Bob' nickname. Her pale skin was full of freckles, her eyes were blue, her little nose upturned and her lips thin. "He was going to kiss me!" I reproached her.

Charlie opened her mouth. "Alcide kissed you?"

"You think I'd be angry if he had kissed me? You and your screams and curses have distracted us!"

Charlie smiled, television had finally turned on. It started playing at a very high level _For a Pessimist I'm pretty Optimistic_, Paramore, and I rolled my eyes.

"You put the music, not the TV, you dumbass!"

Charlie raised an eyebrow at me and began to move her hips and shoulders, looking mischievously.

"Oh, no..."

"Come on, Carrie..." she jumped from the couch with a hair flip and said: "_So what did you think I would say, you can't run away, no you can't run away..._" she sang, approaching me. "Come on, Carrie! _So what did you think I would say, you can't run away, no you can't run away..._"

"_You wouldn't!_" I followed, and we danced like crazy while singing the song as loud as we could, jumping, lifting our arms and moving our hips. We used to get to this every time we met, but it used to take us more than two beers.

The songs kept going, and when we were listening to the fifth one, _Bad Apples_, Guns n' Roses, I heard the doorbell. I went over there bouncing as I turned on myself, with a beer in my hand (acquired in the third song).

"Alcide, if it's you you've ten seconds to make a run or you're gonna have to dance with us!" I screamed, and reached the door. In front of my white wooden door with a glass panel, I stood still. On the other side, was Eric, raising an eyebrow. I swallowed before opening with surprise.

"Will you force me to dance?" He asked, glancing at my green dress and my disastrous bun. I cleared my throat and I loosed my hair, blushing.

"I don't think I could." I said, going out to the porch.

"Can't I come in?" Eric said, glancing into my house over my head. I stood with my hand still on the threshold.

"My friend Charlie is home. She is having a difficult time. You can come in if you promise that you will behave yourself."

Eric smiled. "Don't I always?"

I rolled my eyes. "I think a 'no' falls short." I said, sighing. "Eric, would you like to come in?"

"With pleasure." Eric said, entering into the house, looking around. "So… adorable."

"Why do you do compliments that sound like insults?" I said, moving to his side.

He closed his eyes and inhaled. "Carrie, you smell especially delicious today."

"It's my new berries shampoo. You like?" I said, turning towards him. Eric rolled his eyes.

"You know what I mean." He said. "Celebrating a party?" He said, pointing to the bottle of beer in my hand.

"Oh, more or less. Sorry I haven't anything to offer you. If you had warned me that you were coming, I would've bought some Tru Blood." I said, turning and starting to walk.

Eric smiled as he followed me into the living room. "No need, it will be a short visit, and I've already eaten." He said.

Charlie stood still when I turned off the music and she looked at me, then looked at Eric with raised eyebrows and open mouth.

"Was she blonde or brunette?" I said as I dropped on the couch, my dress fluttered around my thighs and Eric looked at my legs shamelessly.

"Both." He said, throwing a quick glance at Charlie, then turning his eyes to me again.

"You little vicious vampire..." I said, Eric chuckled. "Charlie, this is Eric, Eric, this is Charlie. Although in fact you've already spoken, so..."

Charlie gave him an awkward little wave and Eric a cold nod.

"God, guys, please, try not to be so charming with each other!" I said, rolling my eyes.

"My pleasure, Miss Charlotte." Eric said, though he said it looking at me.

"Sure..." Charlie said. "Same here."

"And Eric, what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"I need you to do something for me tomorrow." He said. _Of course_. I hoped the disappointment wasn't visible in my face. "I need you to see your brother and ask him about Tom Clearwater. It would be better if he doesn't know that I sent you. I want to check if your erratic theory makes some sense."

I snorted, covering my face with my hands. "Oh, Eric, you're killing me." I growled. "Can't I ask Alcide?"

"No." Eric said. "It will be easier that your brother tells you."

"I don't think so." Charlie said. "Alcide has spent all day here, and I think he's willing to tell anything he knows to Carrie..."

Eric's eyes sparkled darkly for a second. "What had Alcide made in here?"

"Fix the boiler." I said.

"Is that supposed to be some kind of human metaphor?"

I laughed out loud, I couldn't help, but Charlie looked at me with wide eyes, as if afraid that Eric ripped my head out for laughing at him. When I calmed down, Eric looked at me with his usual raised eyebrow.

"Eric, my relationship with Alcide is far way better than my relationship with my brother right now. In addition, he is the leader of the pack, if anyone knows anything, that'd be him."

Eric looked at me pursing his lips for a second, then nodded.

"Ok, Carrie." He said. "But don't spend more time with him than necessary."

I rolled my eyes as I stood up to accompany him to the door.

"Eric, if it wasn't because you are an ancient vampire and blah, blah, blah, I would say you're jealous." I said, opening the door. Eric laughed quietly.

"Carrie, jealousy is one of the strongest feelings." He said. "But I'm not jealous of Alcide."

"Oh." I said, frowning a bit. Eric reached out and grabbed one of the straps of my dress, it had slipped down my shoulder without me noticing.

"He is no threat to me." He said with a slight smile as he placed the strap. "I have to go now. That color suits you great."

I cocked my head until my cheek touched my shoulder, with a shy smile.

"Thank you. Charlie says I look like a sweet."

Eric smiled, his hand went from my shoulder to my collarbone, where he paced his fingertips.

"Indeed..." he whispered, and disappeared turning over the dirt from the entrance. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and went inside.

"They're gonna make me go crazy..." I said, sitting on the couch and lit a cigarette.

"It's just a question, but what the hell goes on in Louisiana?" Charlie said, her eyes wide. "Is there something in the air that turns men into disappearing-panties machines, or what?"

I laughed, letting go a puff of smoke through my mouth. "Essentially." I said. "Charlie, I don't know what to do with those two."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "You're single, so whatever you want. They seem predisposed." She said.

"Yeah, but I don't think either of them would deal very well with the idea of me sleeping with the other..." I said. "It's just that when I'm with Alcide, I think that no man can be sweeter and more handsome and… those arms! And I'm sure I like him better. But when Eric appears, I can't take my eyes off him, and he's so mysterious, so attractive and… those eyes! And I'm sure that there has never been anyone who could turn me on as much as he does." I looked at Charlie, sighing. "And one is my boss, and the other is the best friend of my brother."

Charlie nodded, giving a sip of her beer.

"I understand your pain." She said, looking at me. "There are two gorgeous men who are dying to sleep with me, and my decision is between the werewolf pack master or a thousand-year old vampire, both of them with sculptural bodies and possibly prodigious sex gods." She said, nodding. "Yes, Carrie. I feel so bad for you."


	10. Chapter 10: There's Nothing Else to Do

**_AN: _**_Oh my God, I'm back! I'm back at home, I'm back with my family and friends, and I'm back with you, guys! I know it's been a long time and that some of you won't be interested on this story anymore, but for the ones who want to read it, I'll keep posting one or two chapters a week! Thank you all for your reviews and your messages of support. Now, where were we?_

_::::::::::::::::_

**_Chapter X : There's Nothing Else To Do_**

_Like the naked leads the blind_

_I know I'm selfish, I'm unkind_

_Sucker love, I always find_

_Someone to bruise and leave behind._

_- Every Me, Every You, _Placebo.

"Alcide... yeah, hey... Do you want to eat something with me today?"

Alcide's voice answered from the other line.

"_Sure, why not? Merlotte's? Or you rather go to Shreveport?_"

"No, Merlotte's is just fine. About twelve o'clock?"

"_Sure, you want me to pick you up or see you there?_"

"See you there would be better. Charlie's still here and... well, until then."

"_Goodbye, Carrie_."

I hung up with a sigh and started to dial another number. The voicemail answered me, obviously.

"Eric, I've asked Alcide to eat together. I'll go to Fangtasia a couple of hours after dark, about ten. And know that I feel dirty. See you later." I hung up again, frowning.

"You'll go to hell." Charlie said, shoving a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. She wore her red curls up in a tousled bun and she had a hangover face. I rolled my eyes.

"You can be sure." I whispered. "I'm gonna look for some clothes to help Alcide talk." I said, as I headed to the stairs.

"Since when are you like that _Alias_ girl, but with vampires?" Charlie yelled from the kitchen.

"Since I got that bloody job at Fangtasia." I replied from upstairs.

I decided to wear short jeans and a KISS t-shirt to just below my chest, but it had fringes falling from above the navel to the hips, and my usual black Converse. I left my hair loosed and I put some black eyeliner and painted my lips red. I looked in the mirror. Ready to my covert mission.

"Hey, Nikita." Charlie said from downstairs. "You know there is a package at your door?"

I frowned and went down.

"What do you mean?" I said, and Charlie brought me the package. I opened it in my way to the kitchen. It had no sender or addressee and it was very small, it fit in the palm of my hand. Opening it, I saw it was a small wooden box, at the top there was an engraving: a stake and an axe crossed with one open eye in the background. I frowned.

"Have you ever seen this before?" I asked to Charlie. She shook her head.

"Who do you think I am? Buffy's librarian?"

I rolled my eyes and opened the box, when I saw what was inside it, I gasped and dropped it on the kitchen's table.

"Can I say 'yuck'?" Charlie said, staring at the two large and white fangs, with bloody roots, lying on my table.

::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Eric, if you're there pick up the fucking phone. Now. Eric. _Fuck_." I said and pressed the button to hang up of my hands-free, while giving more gas to the bike. I put down my helmet's visor, trying to ignore the lump in my throat. _He'll be fine, he'll be fine, he'll be fine..._ it was the phrase that was repeated over and over again in my head. My heart was beating a mile a minute.

I didn't know exactly what it meant to lose his fangs for a vampire. Could they die? Could they continue feeding? I had no idea, but I had the feeling that it couldn't be good. I called again, this was the ninth message.

"Eric, I'm Carrie, I'm worried, pick up the phone. I'm serious. Eric. Fuck, shit, crap." I said, and hung up again, feeling increasingly anxious.

I turned the last corner which took me to Fangtasia and I parked the motorbike, getting off with a jump and taking off the helmet as I ran toward the door. I put my key in the lock and entered, going towards the door that leaded to Eric's room, or basement. The bar was empty, I expected Ginger to be there, or someone. I didn't find it like a good sign.

I ran down the stairs and opened the door below, I entered the room, I was expecting the bed, but instead, there was a black as ebony coffin. I didn't allow myself not even a second to stay stunned, I ran to the coffin and opened it using all my strength. Inside it, Eric lay with eyes closed, no movement through his face or his body. I put my hand on his chest. Neither breathing nor heart beat. He was dead.

"Eric." I said, moving him slightly. "ERIC!" I screamed, and the vampire opened his eyes, fangs extracted and he incorporated with a hiss, grabbing my wrist. I let go a breath of pure and sweet relief.

"Carrie..." he said, frowning. "Never wake a vampire that way."

"I'm so glad to see those fangs... God, Eric, I thought you were dead..." I whispered, Eric still hadn't let go of my wrist.

"It's like I'm supposed to be during the day." He said in a calm voice, retracting his fangs. His eyes looked tired.

"No, you idiot." I said, reaching into my jacket's pocket and pulling out the box. "I thought you had been killed."

I handed him the box and he left the coffin with a jump, looking at the symbol.

"From where did you get this?" He said, looking at me.

"Someone left it on my doorstep." I said. "Why? Do you recognize it?"

Eric winced slightly.

"It's vaguely familiar, but I don't remember why..." he said, opening it. His eyes opened wide and the next second, he wasn't there.

"Okay." I said, left alone in the middle of the basement. "I hate when he does..." Eric was back and facing me. "... That." I finished the sentence. "Where did you go?"

"To see if Pam was fine." He said. I bowed my head, hoping that he kept talking.

"So?" I asked, when he said nothing.

"She's asleep."

"What about Tara?" Eric shrugged. "Eric! She's Pam's progeny, that makes her sort of your granddaughter! You have to go and check on her!"

Eric rolled his eyes.

"Who taught you that word?"

I swallowed.

"I told you, Wikipedia. Though it was Tara who explained it better to me. She told me you made Pam, and she made Tara."

"You and Wikipedia."

Eric disappeared again, just to return a few seconds later.

"She's also asleep." He said in a bored voice. "Carrie, do you have a theory of who may have left this on your door?"

"No, I have no idea." I looked at my watch. "Oh, shit! Alcide!"

"Do you think it was him?" Eric said with a snarl.

"No, I have a date with him, and I'm late. I'm leaving, Eric. I'm sorry I woke you." I said, turning around and starting to leave.

"Carrie." Eric said, and I turned around. "Did you come here directly when you saw this?" He asked, shaking the box in his hand. I nodded. "Because you thought they were mine?"

"Yes, Eric, I think I lost my mind momentarily. Sorry. I think I had a mini panic attack." I said, smiling apologetically. He stared at me, his eyes were strange, I never had seen him that way, and I didn't know how to interpret it.

"If a human could make me feel something, and they _can't_..." he said, looking into my eyes. "That human would be you. And I'd be grateful for your anxiety."

I swallowed with a hand on the doorknob.

"It's a shame that my anxiety is not going to be appreciated." I said, and opened the door. Before I left, I looked over my shoulder. "But I'm glad to hear it." I said, going out there hastily.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Alcide was sitting at a table with an empty beer and a half of another in his hand, looking at something in his phone's screen.

"Oh, Alcide, I'm so so sorry!" I said, sitting in front of him. Alcide smiled. "I had an emergency... I'm really sorry."

Alcide nodded.

"Relax, it's ok." He said. "Can I know why you've proposed to eat together?"

I shrugged, playing the innocent girl.

"Well, I fancied it. Is it wrong?"

Alcide laughed.

"No, Carrie, I think it's great. You can call me anytime you want."

I thought it was going to look forced if I asked directly what I wanted to know, so we started talking about other things and slowly, I forgot why I called him on the first place.

"And how did you know Sookie?" I said when we finished eating.

"Actually, because of your boss." He said. "Sookie had to spend some time in Jackson and Eric asked me to look after her."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Wow, what a big bad scary vampire, that Eric, who command you to take care of a pretty blonde... I understand why you dislike him so much." I said, smiling. Alcide rolled his eyes.

"Don't fool yourself, Carrie. Eric ain't harmless."

"Neither are you."

"Yeah, but I don't try to get anything of you."

"And he does?"

"Vampires only want one thing from humans."

I sighed.

"Of course, our sweet, sweet blood." I said, eyes widening. "And daytime workers, Alcide."

"By the way," he said. "What happened at the end with that wounded man? Sam told me that he left him in Fangtasia."

"Oh..." I said, biting my lip. "Actually I wanted to talk about it. That guy, wasn't familiar to you? His name was Tom Clearwater."

Alcide slightly furrowed his brow, thinking.

"Not really. Why do you ask?"

"See, when he woke up, he saw me, and he jumped on me scared as hell, like if I was the biggest threat of the club, and there were three vampires in there." I explained. "He opened his eyes widely and shouted 'I told you to leave me alone!' and he pushed me off the chair. The bastard tried to strangle me."

Alcide straightened in his seat and put his hand on mine, which rested on the table.

"Hell, Carrie, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Oh yes, it was almost a week ago. Eric saved me..." I decided to skip the 'and then he almost strangles me too' thing. "And I thought maybe he saw me working in _The Red Wolf_, and thinks I'm one of them... one of you, I mean. I can't think of any other option."

Alcide cocked his head and frowned. "Carrie, Eric has asked you to ask me this?" He said. I bit my lip, looking down.

"Yes. But what I told you is true." Alcide released my hand.

"Is that why you invited me to lunch?" He said. He sounded hurt. I opened my mouth, but he shook his head and stood up. "This is un-fucking-believable." He muttered, as he took money from his wallet to pay the bill.

"No, Alcide, don't get angry." I pleaded. "Eric asked me to ask Ethan, but I'd rather talk with you because..."

"You know," Alcide said. "I guess this has been a working lunch. I'll let Northman pay." He said, pocketing the wallet again and heading for the exit.

"No, no, Alcide..." I said, rising to follow him to the parking lot of Merlotte's. "Alcide! I told you the truth! What would you want me to do?"

Alcide turned just before getting into the truck.

"You could have said: 'Eric wants me to ask you this' at least I would've known where I was getting into!" he said, opening the door and climbing in.

"Alcide, I'm sorry." I said, approaching the vehicle. "Fuck, I've told you the truth. I'm worried about what that guy did."

Alcide didn't look at me.

"Then go and worry with Eric." He said, turning on the engine and driving off, leaving me in the parking lot with a stupid face.


	11. Chapter 11: We Don't Belong

**_Chapter XI : We Don't Belong_**

_Sometimes days are so hard to survive, _

_A million ways to bury you alive _

_The sun goes down like a bad, bad dream _

_You're wound up tight, gotta let off steam._

_- Crazy, Crazy Nights, _KISS.

"I always do these things, you know?" I said, shoving another crisp in my mouth. "Screw up with men. I seem to have a radar for, when a guy likes me, do something to mess it up."

"Well, take it over, sweetie." Lafayette said, narrowing his eyes with endless eyelashes, elbows on the bar. "Or move on. Men don't deserve even a tenth of the thoughts we dedicate to them."

I smiled. "Lafayette, are you aware that you are a man?"

"But I'm flawless, boo!" he said. "Carrie, I think there's more than one man into that cute little head."

I sighed. "What a sight... Yeah, you're right. And that's the problem. Also, they know and _hate_ each other... this is what you got when you like a vampire and a werewolf at the same time. Not as lovely as in _Twilight_."

Lafayette straightened up, eyes wide. "A vampire? Oh, baby, you're getting in a slightly dangerous territory there. I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff."

"Am not." I said. "I hadn't known any vampire until I started working at Fangtasia. Turns out that I like all the ones I know."

"You work in Fangtasia?" Lafayette said. "Wait, the vampire that makes you horny ain't Eric Northman, right?"

"Yeah." I said, raising my eyebrows. "You know him?"

"Much more than I'd fucking wish." He said. "Darlin', I respect everyone, but you have to walk carefully when you hang out with vamps, they take what they want, when they want and you can't remember it after. Have you slept with him? Has he bitten you?"

"No and no." I said. "Besides, he won't hurt me. I think he finds me really funny."

Lafayette pursed his lips. "And why is that?"

"Because I smell like the seventh heaven for him or something and because he can't glamour me."

"I know a girl who can't be glamoured." Sam, who walked behind Lafayette with a box of beers in his arms said. "And yet they managed to deceive her and do whatever they wanted with her."

I leaned slightly forward. "You talking about Sookie? What did they do to her?"

"Oh." Lafayette said, shaking his head as to pull away his hair from his face, only that he had no hair. "They went too far. Sookie was in love with a vampire, Bill, madly, they seem to love each other beyond anything else. Sookie even traveled to Jackson to save him after he was kidnapped. And then it turned out that it had been all a sham and that Bill had been commanded by the Queen of Louisiana to investigate Sookie."

I frowned. "Did you just say 'the Queen of Louisiana'?"

"Yeah, baby, don't you know how vampires are you organized?" Lafayette said. "There is a king in every state, which is divided into areas that are ruled by Sheriffs."

"Sheriffs? Are you fucking kidding me?" When I saw Lafayette's serious expression, I snorted in surprise. "And how did Sookie find out the truth?"

Lafayette and Sam exchanged glances. "A sheriff told the truth to Sookie." Sam said. "The Sheriff of Area 5. Eric Northman."

I laughed out loud. "Eric is a Sheriff?" I bit my lip, hesitantly. "So he is above the other vampires? I think that explains a lot. I thought they only obeyed him because he's old and rich..."

"It affects too, I think." Sam said. "But you're not focusing on what's important."

"So Eric challenged his Queen to tell the truth to Sookie?" I said. Sam raised his eyebrows.

"Well, yes. But just because he wanted her to himself."

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly, guys, I know vampires are dangerous, but think it this way: if you were as powerful as them, even if you didn't drink blood, don't you think that most humans would be even more sadistic and cruel? I think Eric is quite fair. Okay, he doesn't value human life much, but he doesn't go around killing first and asking later. The times I've seen him kill someone, it was to save my life. If it wasn't for him, I would've died twice last week."

Sam leaned over the bar. "And if you hadn't known him, would you have been in danger in the first place?" He said, and I frowned. "Vampires bring death with them, Carrie, no matter if they execute it or not. I'm not saying that Eric will kill you, but getting involved with him is dangerous. And knowing how you smell, it's a matter of time that any of them attack you."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I've been working in a bar of vampires and none of them have even tried to touch me. I'm not afraid."

"Well, you should be." Lafayette said. "And Eric Motherfucking Northman should be the one to frighten you the most."

I sighed and ate another crisp. "Everybody is dangerous in their own way." I said. "Only that they hurt in different ways." Lafayette bit his lip, looking at me, and Sam rolled his eyes and disappeared into the kitchen. "I know you think I'm stupid." I said. "But I know how to handle the situation. I just don't know which one I like better."

"Alcide's a good man." Lafayette said. "Although it doesn't matter if you like the vamp better. I think a list of pros and cons will solve nothing, and neither will eating your feelings." He said, taking my bag of crisps.

"Hey!" I said, still chewing the last. "That's mine!"

"By the way," Lafayette said. "If you work at Fangtasia, you'll be able to tell me how my cousin Tara is."

I raised my eyebrows. "Tara is your cousin? Like, Pam's Tara? That Tara?"

"Yeah, that fucking Tara. Who became a vampire against her will. How's she doing?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "She seems a very happy vampire to me." I said. "Don't know what you mean, but I think she's great."

Lafayette gave a lopsided grin and nodded. "Well, sweetheart, it's been a pleasure, but I gotta go back to work. Come talk with old LaLa whenever you want."

I laughed. "I will. I think it's time to go home. I have a friend in crisis."

"Fly like the wind." Lafayette said as he walked into the kitchen. I laughed and left the money on the bar, then left the restaurant with a sigh.

::::::::::::::::::::

"Can I go with you?" Charlie said lying on my bed, staring at her hair ends. I shrugged my shoulders as I brushed my hair.

"If you wanna... I don't know what Eric wants, but it surely is about the fangs."

"Then, I think I stay." She said, turning on herself. "Give my love to the sexy vampire."

"Sure." I said, leaving the brush on the dresser and turning around. "I'll try not to come back late."

"Easy, there's a _Friends_ marathon on TV. I'll be entertained."

I bent down to kiss her on the cheek before leaving.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I arrived at Fangtasia a little after ten o'clock and took off my helmet, running my fingers through my hair to detangle it a bit. I pulled up my tight jeans and I took a deep breath, opening the door of the bar, which was closed that night. When I entered, Eric was standing against the counter, next to Pam, and sitting at a table were Tara and Sookie.

"Hi..." I said, doubtful when I entered. Everyone turned to me and I gulped. What happened there?

"Carrie." Eric said in greeting. Pam smiled.

"I must say you look lovely today. That shirt is very flattering." She said.

I looked down, I was wearing an old Mötorhead shirt, which showed my shoulder "Ah, thank you, Pam..." I said. When she complimented me I felt like she was about to bite me. "Hi, Tara..." I said, walking over to shake hands with Sookie. The girl stood up with a smile and shook my hand.

"Meet Miss Stackhouse." Eric said. "Tonight she has come to do us a favor. And right there is Jessica."

I turned as I shook hands with Sookie; in a secluded chair sat a very serious redhead vampire.

"Um, yeah, Sookie, right?" I said, turning my face to her again. "It's difficult to forget a name like Sookie." I smiled politely.

"Yes, that'd be me." Sookie said. "You are Carrie, right? Alcide's friend?"

I nodded, not sure if that statement was still true.

"You already knew each other?" Eric asked.

"Yes, the day you sent me to talk to Sam." I said.

"Did you send her to talk to Sam?" Sookie said. "Why?"

"That is irrelevant." Eric replied. "Carrie, do you know what Sookie is?"

I looked at Sookie with raised eyebrows, she looked expectantly. I could almost see a golden halo around her body, it was clear what she was.

"A fairy." I said in a whisper, smiling.

"How did you know?" She asked, tilting her head. I shrugged my shoulders.

"It's something I know. To me it's obvious."

"Sookie, our friend Carrie can't be glamoured." Eric said as we sat down. "I want you to try to read her mind."

"Hey, wait!" I said, turning to Eric. "What the hell are you saying? Why do you want her to read my mind?"

Eric winced. "I just want to check something, Carrie. I don't need Sookie to tell me what you're thinking, I just want to know if she can read you."

I ran my tongue over my teeth, looking at Eric. "And if I refuse?"

"I don't see why you would. I think you're so eager to find out who you are as myself."

I looked down. The bastard was right. "Thank you for saying 'who' not 'what'." I said, turning towards Sookie.

"I tried to read her mind the day she came to Merlotte's, and I couldn't." She said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"Try again." Eric ordered. Sookie took my hands in hers and closed her eyes, trying to hear something. The fact is that I didn't want her reading my mind, neither she nor anyone. It was messy enough for me, I didn't need anyone to enter to snoop in. Besides, what could she see? My immediate thoughts, my memories, what? My feelings? Would she tell Eric that I felt attracted to him and to Alcide? Would she tell Alcide? No, I definitely didn't like the idea.

"There..." Sookie said, frowning. "A kind of wall. Carrie, I think you're blocking my entrance."

"Well, stop it." Eric said, an eyebrow lifting at me and approaching us. He sat next to me and he looked at me closer. "Carrie, try focusing. Let Sookie in."

I looked at the blue-eyed vampire and nodded. I closed my eyes too and tried to get rid of my hostility. Well who would understand me better than her? Also, Sam and Lafayette spoke of her fondly, sure she was legit. The feeling I experienced was very rare, like when you think someone said your name but you are alone at home, something very real and completely intangible at the same time. I noticed how the voice of Sookie got into my head slowly.

"_I don't know why I can't see anything, the girl looks human... I wonder what Eric wants from her... I hope he treats her well, she seems a very nice girl, and... wait a second..._"

I heard Sookie sigh in the outside world and I opened my eyes, Sookie had them closed, and she smiled.

"It's like..." she said in a whisper. "As a sense of calmness... peace... is indescribable... your mind is... beautiful. It is..." Sookie opened her eyes and looked at me. "I couldn't hear anything, but I felt your mind. You are a very special person."

"Well, I did hear you." I said. All faces turned to me with raised eyebrows, but Sookie, who frowned. "You don't... you haven't done it on purpose?" I asked, hesitating.

Sookie chuckled. "No! Are you a telepath too?"

I shook my head effusively, releasing her hands. "No way." I said. "But I've noticed how you were getting into in my mind, once I wanted to let you in. And I heard you."

"What was I thinking?" She asked.

"Um, you thought you don't know why you couldn't hear me and wondered what Eric wants from me." I replied. Eric raised an eyebrow at Sookie. She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it's true. That's what I thought just before you took off your wall. And once inside your mind it has been..." she put her hands on her chest. "As a sense of happiness, calm. Like being asleep, dreaming of something great."

"Did you feel that way?" Eric asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you see me happy and calmed?"

"Not really."

"Well, there you go." I said, then sighed. "And this hadn't happened to you before?"

"No." Sookie said. "Sorry, I think I can't help you. I can't read vampires, I hear werewolves very fuzzy, like a mixture of thoughts and emotions, and with shifters I feel an emotional thread. I can hear humans, and fairies too. With them I can communicate without speaking. I once knew a maenad, and I couldn't read her well, she thought in a strange language. But this never happened to me."

I nodded. "That means, I'm even weirder than a maenad, which I don't even know what it is." I said, getting up. "Great."

I walked to Eric's office and closed the door behind me, I dropped in his comfortable couch with my hands over my eyes. A growing sense of unease settled in my chest. I had just experienced one of the strangest things in my life, but it hadn't seemed as odd as it should had seemed to me. I always thought I was a normal human, just that, at growing up with wolves, I had the ability to distinguish the different creatures. But something inside me told me I wasn't, that it was a more important reason explaining why I felt better in the company of supernaturals than of humans, and it wasn't the habit. Now, every discovery left more clear that I was something else, something that neither I nor anyone else could explain. Not even a thousand year old vampire could explain it.

"Carrie." Eric's voice said to me, and I uncovered my eyes to look at him. I hadn't heard him enter, but I guess that was normal. "That wasn't appropriate."

I growled. "Eric, are you aware that I don't give a shit?" I said, incorporating to sit. "I don't know what I am, you know what that is? Surely you've always had things very clear." I complained. "I'm a vampire, so I drink blood, glamour people and make other vampires, and also am a Sheriff, so I command a lot of vampires. And when you were human I'm sure you had your whole world clear too."

Eric sat next to me. "When I was human, we all had very clear what we must do. I am a man, so I have to fight. Traveling for months to get riches and women. Go back and celebrate victories. And after death, the glorious death in combat, we reached Valhalla. It was simple."

I opened my eyes widely and turned to him with my mouth half open. "Valhalla? So you're saying you were a Viking? Like, Erik, or Vicky?"

Eric laughed and sat by my side, leaning his back against the couch. "Yes, Carrie, I was a Viking. And I was turned when I was about to die. It was very confusing to me, too, to find out that our gods, our death was a mistake. That there were other beings superior to us. But I've had plenty of time to get used to it."

I sighed. "I won't mind living a thousand years being young and strong to find out what the hell I am."

"I don't think it takes so much time for that, since I also want to find out." Eric said. "In addition, someday eternity may be at your fingertips."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are you offering to turn me?"

Eric looked at me askance. "I wouldn't mind, actually."

"Is that a compliment?"

"You should take it as such, since I have over a thousand years and I have just made one vampire. I think it would be interesting to see what kind of vampire you would become."

I plopped down next to him, our arms touching. "I really don't know if I would be a good vampire. I don't know why, it seems to me that I would be really bloody." I said sincerely, frowning. Eric laughed quietly at my side.

"And why is that?"

"Because many times..." I whispered. "I have my impulses right in the surface, Eric, all of them. Violent, sexual, those are really powerful. Sometimes I need to draw on all my self control to stop myself. And I think once downed human taboos, once turned into a vampire, I couldn't contain myself."

"You know that just makes me want to turn you sooner, don't you?" Eric said, and this time I laughed.

"And you could put up a thousand years with me?" I asked, slowly letting my head rest on his shoulder.

"Yes," Eric replied. "As equals, yes."

I looked at nowhere for a few seconds, reflecting on his words. "And why are you so eager to know what I am?" I asked. "Is it altruistic interest or you wanna know how I can be useful to you?"

Eric's fingers began to pace up and down my leg, from my knee to mid-thigh and back again, the pads of his fingers made me get goosebumps. "I think you're interesting." Eric said. "And when you're a thousand years, most things lose interest. Actually, only sex and violence maintain it, those impulses you can't stop. And when you come across something you can't describe... it's curious."

I swallowed. "So I'm an experiment, or an entertainment?"

Eric was silent for a few minutes and I closed my eyes, enjoying the closeness. When I thought he wasn't going to answer, he whispered: "I wouldn't have come to comfort an experiment."

I smiled and raised my face until my green eyes met his blue one's. "Comfort? I thought you had come to give me a lecture."

"Do you think I care if you are rude to Sookie Stackhouse? Not at all."

"It's been really weird, Eric." I whispered. "But it made me think of something."

"What?"

"Maybe you could glamour me if I wanted to let you."

Eric cocked his head and his body moved slightly, turning to me, so I ended up with my hands on his chest for balance, leaning toward him.

"Perhaps you would end up glamouring me if we thought about what happened to Sookie." He said.

I laughed, the scene of an Eric glamoured by me seemed absurd. "Alright." I said. "You'll have to limit yourself on smell me every time I get close to you." I commented, and went back to rest my head on his chest. I closed my eyes, carried away by the warmth of the closeness, though Eric wasn't warm at all, his touch comforted me.

"Thank you, Carrie." He muttered.

"Why?" I asked without looking up.

"I heard the messages you left me. You seemed very concerned."

"I was so worried." I whispered, frowning as I remembered that overwhelming feeling in the chest, the dumb fear I had felt at the thought that something might have happened to him. "And you're welcome. But try and don't scare me like that ever again."

"Actually, I didn't do anything to scare you." He said, his voice sounded amused.

"I don't care. Just stay safe."

Soon, I felt his nose and mouth against my hair, on top of my head. "It is extremely nice. You smell like the North Sea." Eric whispered, his sweet breath hit my hair. "Like snow and rainy sky. I don't understand how anyone could smell like this. You smell of the place where I grew up."

I sighed and closed my eyes as he ran the tip of his nose through my hair again and again, breathing deeply. For a moment, I was glad to be whatever I was, if that could give Eric back some memories that made him feel good.


	12. Chapter 12: I'm Running Out of Air

_**AN:**__ Thanks for all the reviews! I can see the oppinions are pretty different but what can I say? Keep reading until the end!_

:::::::::::::::::::::::::

_**Chapter XII: I'm Running Out Of Air**_

_I'm trying to figure out what else to say_  
><em>To make you turn around and come back this way<em>  
><em>I feel like we could be really awesome together<em>  
><em>So make up your mind, cause it's now or never.<em>

_ - It's All Your Fault, P!nk._

I woke up on the couch in Eric's office, and he was gone. I slowly opened my eyes and realized that someone had placed a blanket over me, I smiled. I wasn't sure if it had been him but I liked to think so. I sat up and stretched my back, I looked at my watch. Nine in the morning. No wonder why he wasn't there. He must have been sleeping for hours.  
>I went straight home from Fangtasia and upon my arrival, I went to shower.<br>"Carrie?" Charlie's sleepy voice said from the door.  
>"Yeah, it's me." I said. "I'll be done in a minute."<br>"I'm making breakfast."  
>I got out of the shower and I put on a white cotton dress, the smell of pancakes came to my room. "Oh, yum." I said when I got to the kitchen, sitting at the table. "I'm sorry I've been out all night."<br>Charlie shrugged. "Tell me at least that it was a fun night."  
>"Not fun." I said, giving a sip of my coffee. "But it was good." A smile came to my face and judging by Charlie's expression, it should have looked pretty goofy. I shook my head and proceeded to explain everything that happened in the bar, Sookie, Eric, what he said and how all that made me feel.<br>"Did you ask about the fangs ?" She said, staring at me.  
>"He says he'll investigate to find out from who they are, but considering that my unique relationships with vampires are with him, Pam and Tara, it's clear that they haven't done anything to any vampire that I care." I said, shoving a piece of pancake in my mouth. "So it must've been to send a message."<br>"A message?" Charlie said.  
>"Yes, I guess it will be some vampirephobe. 'Don't hang out with vamps' and all that shit."<br>"That's what Eric thinks?" Charlie asked. I shrugged my shoulders.  
>"He isn't sure. But what else can it be?" Charlie frowned as she took another sip of her coffee. I stared at my friend for a few seconds.<br>"You know..." I said. "Let's go shopping. We're gonna buy a pair of pretty dresses with matching shoes, and tonight we'll go to dinner and play pool at Merlotte's. What do you think?"  
>Charlie smiled. "That shifter's bar?"<br>I nodded. "Yes. I'm sure you'll like Sam. He has a great butt."  
>Charlie laughed and nodded enthusiastically.<p>

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

We arrived at Merlotte's at about nine in the evening. Charlie had bought a sky blue dress with a generous cleavage that fit her like a glove, and I, a black dress with tulle skirt. It could be useful for Fangtasia, too. It had a very nice V-neckline and lacy short sleeves.  
>"First we'll have a beer at the bar." I said, catching Charlie's hand to guide her. In the bar were Sam and a waitress with fire red hair who looked very busy. "Hi, Sam!" I said. "This is my friend Charlie. Charlie, Sam." I introduced them. Sam smiled and shook hands with Charlie.<br>"Pleased to meet you." He said. "This is Arlene. Arlene, this is Carrie, I've talked you about her."  
>Arlene raised her eyebrows. "Oh, yeah, hi." She said, shaking my hand. "Sorry, but I gotta go serve tables. It's been a pleasure."<br>"Same to me." I said, while she went away smiling at me over her shoulder.  
>We drank a beer at the bar while we chatted, Lafayette joined us for a while. So when my cell phone rang, I picked it up with a smile.<br>"Yes?"  
>"Carrie, where are you." Rather than a question, the voice of Eric seemed an order.<br>"I'm at Merlotte's, having a drink with Charlie."  
>"Go to the backyard, I'll be there soon."<br>And he hung up. I frowned at my phone. "Aye, Captain." I said, getting off the stool.  
>"Where are you going?" Charlie said.<br>"I'm going to out for a minute. Apparently Eric is on the way and he wanna talk to me." I said, shrugging. "Take care of her." I told Lafayette pointing a threatening finger to him.  
>"Your wish is my command." He said, and I headed into the street.<br>It was hot, despite being nighttime, and I looked from side to side, hoping to see Eric get through the trees. Suddenly, I noticed something strange in the air and I looked up at the sky. I gasped when I saw Eric coming, landing gracefully in front of me and repositioning his blazer.  
>"No shit." I said, approaching him. "You can fly?"<br>Eric raised an eyebrow at me. "Obviously?"  
>"I didn't know that vampires can fly!" I exclaimed, eyes wide open.<br>"Not all of us can." He said. "But I do."  
>Why am I not surprised? Eric wasn't only a thousand year old Viking vampire, but he was also an exceptional thousand year old Viking vampire.<br>"Eric, don't you think you could be King? I don't know who is the King of Louisiana now, but I doubt that he's more powerful..."  
>"He's not." Eric cut me. "Not even close. I am the oldest vampire of Louisiana, and one of the oldest in the United States. The current King's not even two centuries." I laughed at the absurdity of that sentence. "But politics bore me. Anyway, I haven't come to talk about that with you."<br>I nodded. "Sure, what's wrong?"  
>"I will be absent from Louisiana for an indefinite time." He said, and the news came over me like a bucket of cold water, I felt like somehow, my lungs closed, I was out of breath, and I was glad that he keep talking because I was sure that I would not be able to pronounce a word. "I have to deal with some issues that require my presence, and I don't know how long it will take me. In my absence, I want you to be very careful. Pam and Tara will protect you, but they can't feel you like I do, so do us both a favor, and don't get into trouble."<br>I swallowed. "Can't you tell me how long you'll be out?"  
>Eric cocked his head to one side and took a step toward me. "What is it? Will you miss me?"<br>I raised my face to his. "I'm afraid so. Badly." I whispered.  
>Eric took a lock of my hair and stroked the tips with an absent look in his beautiful eyes. "I don't like to leave. But it's the only way."<br>"What?"  
>Eric looked up from my hair to my face and leaned forward, placing his lips on my forehead for a few seconds. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to slow down my heartbeat.<br>"Stay safe, Miss Corbett." Eric whispered against my skin, and with a rush of air, he was gone.

"Carrie, you're really weird." Charlie said as I drank a shot of tequila, the sixth of the night. We had dinner and we had taken a few more beers. Alcohol was beginning to make my head spin, but for the moment the spinning was fun. We were playing pool.  
>"I'm fine." I said, preparing myself to hit a ball.<br>"Look at the prettiest girls in the bar." A boy said, and I lifted my face to see who it was. I didn't know him, he was blond, with brown eyes, pretty cute.  
>"We're not interested." I said, hitting the ball.<br>"Carrie, why are you talking for me?" My needed friend said. "I'm Charlie."  
>The boy approached her and they started flirting. I rolled my eyes and turned toward the bar, but I ran into a man's chest.<br>"Oops, sorry." I said, putting his hands on him with a chuckle. He wore a plaid shirt that made me think about a lumberjack, and I looked up at his face. Brown eyes, big nose, beard. I smiled. "Alcide! Don't you think that world is small?"  
>Alcide raised an eyebrow. "What I think is that you smell like tequila."<br>"And you smell like Aqua Velva." I said, putting the index finger on his chest. His body was so hot... compared to Eric, who was always cold, it was almost overwhelming. He was exothermed.  
>"I heard you were in danger." Alcide said, putting a huge hand around my waist and looking around. I snorted.<br>"Pfff... I'm in danger of becoming a an obstacle for my friend. Charlie got off with that…" I turned to point them out, but they were gone. "Eh! The bitch left without me!"  
>Alcide laughed and led me to support my rear on the pool table. "Seriously, Carrie, I've been called from here and..."<br>"It was me." Lafayette said from the bar. "She won't be able to drive back home in that state, and look at her, poor little lonely thang. Give her some company, and have fun. I don't have to give you instructions, do I?" He said and, with a wave of his fan, he disappeared into the kitchen. I laughed.  
>"I adore that guy." I said, and raised my face to his. "And I adore you." I put my arms around his neck, my fingers laced behind his back.<br>"And you love alcohol." He said with a smile. I laughed out loud.  
>"And I love alcohol!" I nodded. "Alcide, do you realize how great you are for coming here when the super diva called you because you thought I was in danger even when you were so super mad at me?"<br>Alcide smiled. "I think this is the longest question I've ever heard."  
>"You were so mad at me." I said, pouting. "What can I do to take your anger away?" I purred, raising an eyebrow.<br>"Oh, goodness." Alcide said, grabbing my waist and pulling me to him, forcing me to walk. "You're drunk, Carrie."  
>"Maybe a little." I admitted. "But what I'm saying is true."<br>"My anger will be gone when I leave you in your house, in your bed and you sleep it off." Alcide said, guiding me out of the bar.  
>"But I wanna stay like this!" I said as he took me to his truck. "Alcide, this isn't necessary..."<br>"Yes it is." He said, opening the door of his truck. He grabbed my waist and lifted me easily to the passenger seat.  
>"I love your truck." I said when he got in and drove off. "I don't think you're aware of how cool is your truck. It's super masculine. Like you."<br>Alcide laughed. "Super masculine?"  
>"Yes, and you, with your beard, your shirts and your packmaster thing... I don't know how any woman can resist you."<br>"Well, you can."  
>"No, not really. When I'm with you I can hardly think of anything but how it will be to kiss you. It happened my whole life, but now it has gotten worse." I admitted, letting my head rest on the window glass with a yawn, as I felt how my eyelids were getting heavy.<p>

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::.

I woke up when I felt a pair of strong arms around me, I opened my eyes to see that Alcide was taking me to my house. My mouth was pasty and I just wanted to sleep.  
>"Alcide..." I whispered. "I can walk, no need to take me in your arms."<br>"I don't care." His deep voice said, and I settled my head on his warm chest. The proximity was delicious, although I was somewhat embarrassed by the cause of it.  
>"My bedroom is upstairs." I said when we entered, and Alcide walked up the stairs with me in his arms. "Thank you. You didn't have to take me home."<br>"Sure I did." Alcide said, opening the door to my room.  
>"Oh my God!" I cried when I saw what was in my bedroom.<br>"Out of here!" Charlie cried. The blond boy of the bar had my friend on all fours on the bed, both naked and practicing what seemed to be a pretty hardcore sex.  
>"Damn, sorry." Alcide said, starting to turn around. "Jason?"<br>"Hello." The boy said, raising a hand from Charlie's hips to wave at us. I clenched my eyelids and turned my face to Alcide's chest, trying to get that image out of my mind. It didn't leave.  
>Alcide went down again to the living room and left me on the couch. We looked at each other for a second, then we burst into laughter.<br>"I can't believe what I just saw!" I said, laughing as I dropped myself back, laying on the couch, and put my legs on Alcide's lap.  
>"The image will accompany me to the grave." He said, and I let out another laugh. When I regained my breath, I looked at him. He paced his fingertips absently over one of my legs, creating a goosebumps path after his caresses.<br>"Did you know the guy?" I said, he looked up at me.  
>"Sure, he's Jason fucking Stackhouse."<br>"Stackhouse? Is he Sookie's family?"  
>"He's her brother."<br>I smiled as I stared at the ceiling, then I wrinkled my nose. "The bitch is fucking in my bed." I whispered, and sat up on my elbows. "Why is my friend Charlie, who broke with her longtime boyfriend four days ago getting laid on my bed and an available single young woman like me has been three months without getting any?" I asked indignantly.  
>"You like to make long questions." Alcide said, smiling. "Well, it's easy to go to bed with Jason. And, well, any man would want to be with you, Carrie. You're beautiful." He shrugged. "If you're alone is because you want to."<br>I frowned and I sat up completely, my feet touched the ground, his words still bouncing around my brain. I bit my lip looking at Alcide's face. "Well, I don't." I said, and threw my arms around his neck while I pressed my lips against his.  
>Alcide stood still for a few seconds, but then I noticed his huge hands in the small of my back as his lips parted, kissing me back and making everything around us disappear.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13: Storm Breaks Loose

_**AN: **__Children, close your eyes... Smut ahead!_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter XIII : Storm Breaks Loose<strong>_

_The wolf is hungry, he runs the show_

_He's licking his lips, he's ready to win_

_On the hunt tonight, for love at first sting._

_- Rock You Like a Hurricane, _Scorpions.

I buried my fingers in Alcide's black hair and he gave a strangled groan that sounded almost like a growl while our mouths were still in contact. One of his hands pressed my lower back, crushing me against him, while the other was going up my thigh. With steady hands I began to undo the buttons of his shirt quickly, the urgent, desperate, need of flesh against flesh, almost choked me.

"Carrie..." Alcide whispered against my lips. "Charlie and Jason..."

"I think those two willl be there for a long time..." I whispered, my lips down his chin to his neck, feeling his skin against my teeth as his beard tickled my lips. Alcide threw his head back as I continued down his chest, my hands undid his belt and his pants so fast I was almost surprised.

"Alcide, what's wrong?" I said, moving the hair away from my face and resting my hands on his shoulders. "Even though I don't want to, I can stop if you want, but I don't think you really wanna stop." I whispered, feeling the fabric of his pants against the skin of my thigh, the natural reaction on a man was starting to show.

"No..." he said. "I don't."

One of his arms encircled my waist and he pulled me against him, taking me and lifting me until I lay on the couch, he was on top of me.

Everything happened very quickly, his hands quickly undid my dress and my panties as I kissed him. I didn't even realize he was naked too until I noticed his flesh against mine and I opened my eyes, he stared at me as if he asked for permission. I looked down at his body and raised an eyebrow.

"So what are we waiting for?" I whispered with a smile, pulling his face to mine as he made his way slowly into me. The first feeling of discomfort was quickly replaced with pleasure when I moved my hips a little. I moaned against his mouth as he went on and on, and I got lost in a sea of primary sensations, groans, grunts and sweat. I could still feel the effects of alcohol, when I threw my head back, arching my back, the whole living room was spinning around us.

"Alcide..." I whispered, and he grunted in response, his lips moved over my chin and I swallowed. "You know this is just this, right?"

Alcide laughed softly and his body vibrated into mine, I felt a chill. His mouth lunged mine in a wild, hungry kiss and when he left my lips and left me gasping for breath, whispered: "I think I've ever asked for anything else..."

"I just wanted to make sure." I said, grabbing his shoulders tighter and lifting my face to his until our lips met, we were both smiling.

The minutes passed while we were still intertwined, I began to notice a warm tingling in the back of my knees, coming up, and I grabbed him, causing us to rotate until we fell to the ground, now I was the one who was on top. I gasped with the shock of feeling him deeper. "Sorry..." I whispered, but he just smiled.

He ran his hand behind my neck and forced me to bow to keep kissing me as my body began to feel the subtle spasms of delight and then I leaned back, arching my back with my hands resting on his knees. I heard him groan and his hands tightened on my hips just in the moment I bit my lip hardly, suppressing a loud moan that got stuck on my throat. That known sensation took over me, blurring my mind and my body stiffened just to relax completely a moment later, and I fell over him. We were both breathing hard and our bodies were wet, my heart tried to pound back at a normal pace while I listened to his hammering heart under my ear.

"Wow..." I whispered, changing positions to lie down beside him on the floor.

"Wow..." he repeated, swallowing and turning to face me. He leaned toward me slowly and placed his lips on mine softly, his hand on my cheek. "I wasn't thinking about this when I went looking for you at Merlotte's."

I smiled. "Well, I was." I said and we both laughed.

I sat up a little to get a blanket that lay on the back of the couch and I covered us with a sigh, from the waist down. "Are we supposed to sleep here?" He said, looking at me as I lit a cigarette, laying on the floor. His fingers absently wandered around my collarbones.

"Well, my bed is occupied." I said, shrugging.

"We can go to my place."

I raised an eyebrow at his half smile. "I have no intention to stand up, Alcide." I said shaking my head. He laughed and leaned over to kiss my shoulder, his beard pricked me, but I liked the feeling. I sighed, stretching my back.

"Why did you tell me that?" Alcide said. I shrugged my shoulders, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"Suddenly I thought that perhaps I had given you the wrong impression."

"It seems to me..." Alcide said. "That you're a girl reluctant to commitment and that many aspects of your life are a mess right now." I turned my face toward him, smiling. He was so right. "And I know you like me, and though I know I'm not the only one, that's enough for me for this. But I can't have anything more with you until I'm the only one here." He said, putting his hand on my chest.

I raised an eyebrow, swallowing. Alcide was the perfect man in many ways, but he was right, he wasn't the only one I thought about, the only one who made me feel something.

"Is it an excuse to snog me?" I said, grinning. He smiled. "Alcide, I know you hate Eric and..."

Alcide silenced me with a kiss. "Don't talk about him." He said. "Because despite everything, tonight you're mine."

I nodded and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him as he moved on me again. Trying to ignore the fact that, no matter how good Alcide made me feel... I missed Eric.

* * *

><p>"This is great, Charlie." Jason said, shoving a huge piece of pancake in his mouth. "You're an artist."<p>

"That I am." Charlie said, sitting with us while we devoured the breakfast that she had prepared.

"This can be as good as you want." I said, taking a sip of the coffee. "But don't you dare to fuck in my bed again or I'll kick you out of here."

Charlie blushed and nodded. "Sorry." She said. "We got carried away."

"Well, next time got carried away somewhere else." Alcide growled. "My back is shattered."

"Whiny." I whispered with a smile, and he gave me a gentle push. Our eyes met and a torrent of images flashed through my brain. It had been a long and intense night, and certainly unforgettable. I looked away from him with effort and cleared my throat. "So you are Sookie's brother, aren't you?"

Jason nodded, chewing. "Yeah, you know her?"

"A lot." Charlie said. "In fact, the other day they were reading each other's mind."

Alcide looked at me questioning and I explained the experience with Sookie at Fangtasia, but I saved what had happened with Eric after it.

"That's weird..." Alcide said, looking at his coffee, but said nothing more. I squinted at his reaction, but I decided not to comment anything in that moment.

"And do you know when will Eric come back?" Charlie said, serving more pancakes.

"Eric is gone?" Alcide said, frowning. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, it was yesterday, and when we met I was drunk, and after that we didn't talk much, actually. Also, he just told me 'I have to deal with some issues that require my presence, and I don't know how long it will take me', so there isn't much to tell." I said with a shrug.

"Wow, your impersonation of Eric is an absolute crap." Charlie said, and I stuck out my tongue at her.

Alcide cocked his head. "I still find it weird that he goes like this from his area."

"Well, surely he has a reason for it." I said, shrugging. "It's normal that he didn't tell me all his secrets. And no offense, but they aren't your business."

"I'm investigating the enemy."

"And my boss. So be quiet, big bad werewolf." I said, leaning toward him.

Alcide rolled his eyes, but then he gave me a quick kiss, and somebody knocked on the door. I made an attempt to get up, but it was Charlie who rose.

"I'll go." She said.

She went to the door and when she saw who it was, she hesitated, turning back toward the kitchen. Another knock on the door made me roll my eyes.

"Charlie, are you gonna open it or not?" I said, turning to her.

"Uh, just came to check if Alcide wants to get the fuck out of here." She said, twisting a lock of red hair. "It's Ethan, and he seems angry."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__I'm sorry if you're missing Eric, he will be gone for a couple of chapters, but when he comes back, he will surely make a good entrance! I kinda miss him too __:(_


	14. Chapter 14: Always Messing My Mind

_**Chapter XIV: Always Messing My Mind**_

_She said you ain't special_

_So who you foolin'_

_Don't try to give me a line_

_But I can't stop thinkin' bout seein' ya one more._

_- Bad Obsession, _Guns n' Roses

* * *

><p>"Alcide." Ethan said as he entered the kitchen, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What are you doing here?"<p>

Alcide and I exchanged a quick glance and I looked away to my coffee, taking a sip. I wasn't in the mood to argue with Ethan, I was sleepy, thirsty and my head and my whole body hurt.

"Err..."Alcide hesitated. "Why did you come looking for me here?"

"I've been calling you and you didn't pick up the phone. I came to talk with Carrie and I saw your truck out there."

"He brought me home yesterday." I said. "Too much tequila."

Ethan frowned. "Fuck, Carrie, you got drunk?"

I rolled my eyes. "God, Ethan, I'm twenty-five, let me live."

"And who's that?" He said, pointing with his head to Jason. The boy opened his mouth, but I said: "It's Jason Stackhouse, a friend. Anyway, why do you care? Remember that I'm still mad at you."

"And you aren't mad with Alcide?" Ethan said, approaching the table and looking down at me.

"No, I forgave him long ago. All my anger is for you, congratulations."

"And what do you wanted from me?" Alcide said, smelling that both of us were at the edge of a fight. Ethan looked at me, and then to Charlie and Jason.

"It's a private matter."

"Is something about the pack?" Charlie asked, raising her eyebrows with interest. Ethan rolled his eyes. "Fuck, Charlie, we're not supposed to talk about these things in front of humans. And here there are three of you."

"You mean two." Charlie said. "Apparently Carrie is something strange and unknown."

"Excuse me?" Ethan said, squinting. I nodded.

"Well, we know that I'm not a wolf nor a shifter nor a vampire nor a fairy, nor a maenad and nor a human. Suggestions are welcome." I said, raising my cup.

"What if you're an alien?" Jason said, his eyes widening. "That's why nobody knows who you are, because you're new to this planet. Like Superman. Or Thor."

We all looked shocked at Jason. "Where the fuck did you come from?" Ethan said, frowning. "It's my sister you're talking about."

"Well, my sister's a fairy and I'm human." Jason said, tilting his head. "It wouldn't be so weird."

"Yes, it'd be weird." I said. "It'd be super weird. And Thor is a god, not an alien."

"Can we talk now?" Ethan said, looking at Alcide and ignoring Jason and me. "Wait for me outside." Alcide said. "I'm coming." Ethan nodded and left without another word. "Goodbye, Ethan!" Charlie shouted at his back, but he didn't turn.

"I think I gotta go." Alcide said, standing up. I got up too. "Charlie, Jason, see you soon."

The couple dedicated him a wave and I accompanied Alcide to the door. Before we arrived, I reached out to grab Alcide's wrist and pulled him towards me. He turned with a smile as I moved his arm to my waist, looking at him from between my eyelashes.

"You're stronger than you seem..." He whispered, tilting his face to mine. I lifted my face and caressed his cheek with the tip of my nose, closing my eyes.

"I'm full of surprises." I said, looking for his lips with my mouth. He kissed me gently with a smile playing on his lips. "I'm glad you're not angry with me."

"Well, I'm easy to persuade." He said. "I'll call you, ok?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Sure. See you. And you know I'll want to know what Ethan wants to talk about." I said with a smile. Alcide sighed as he opened the front door.

"Yes, I thought so. Although I don't think I can tell you. I'll have to make something up."

I laughed as I leaned against the doorway and saw him walk down the porch's steps. "Well, maybe if you think of something funny enough to distract me..."

Alcide looked at me over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow as I closed the door with a lopsided grin.

* * *

><p>"Please tell me you're kiddin' me." Tara said with her usual skeptical look as she placed the glasses in place.<p>

"No." I said, shrugging. I was already wearing a vinyl black dress Pam had given me, and I had my slutty makeup on, all to keep up the look that was required in Fangtasia. "You think it's wrong?"

"Not that I think it's wrong, it just seems fucking weird to me." Tara said. "A wolf coming to pick up a human from a vampire bar at dawn? Sounds strange, don't tell me it doesn't."

"Well, we'll go to have breakfast." I said shrugging. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"You're dating him or something?"

"No." I said. "Not at all. We've only slept together a few times and we had fun together. I don't know. I like this. But we're not dating, we are both free as birds."

Tara raised her eyebrow even more. "And Alcide knows that?"

I opened my mouth to say something and then closed it, I bit my lip. "I think so." I said. "I didn't say otherwise."

"You know," Tara said. "I thought there was something between you and Eric."

I pulled back a lock of hair from my face and put the cloth with which I was cleaning the bar under the counter. "Eric isn't here." I said staring into nowhere. "He's been gone for almost two weeks now and I haven't heard from him. I don't even know why he left or if he will come back. He didn't care about me as much as I thought. Well, as much as he made me believe." I sighed and shrugged. "Anyway, not that Eric and I had anything. It's not as if I'm being unfaithful."

"Oh, no, I didn't say that." Tara said, laughing. "Vampires… we're not really into monogamy. Although I don't know if that changes with time, actually..." She pouted for a second and then shrugged. "Well, you know what you do. But you're mingling with vampires and wolves at once. Sooner or later you'll have to choose a side."

I rolled my eyes. "You know, if instead of being so fucking angry at each other, the supernatural beings decided to unite, all of you, I believe that humans wouldn't have a thing to do against you."

Tara laughed. "Well, I'm not sure about if the Great Revelation was a good idea..." she said as Ginger joined us with is a bleeding wound in the neck. Apparently Pam had already eaten. Tara glanced at her as she passed by. "I think vampires did what they pleased before. And look at us now, declaring our goods to hacienda and drinking fake blood."

I laughed, looking at Ginger. "Well, not all of you." I said. "Honey, do you want me to clean that?" I told the blonde waitress, who stared into nowhere.

"What?" She said. "Carrie, hi!"

"Hello, Ginger. Would you like to accompany me to the bathroom? Your neck's a bit dirty." I said, looking at her with pity. She nodded quietly as I took her arm and led her to the ladies bathroom. I cleaned the fangs' wound without thinking too much about what I was doing when a voice said from the doorway: "Is it necessary to do that?"

I raised an eyebrow at Pam. "Yes, if you don't have the delicacy of scrape the plate, someone has to clean it up."

Pam laughed. "I think you're annoyed."

"Well, I think Ginger is really fucked up, and I feel bad about her. Don't know how much I appreciate you can't glamour me."

"Believe me, it's better for Ginger to forget many of the things that we've made her forget. She'd be much more screwed." Pam said, looking herself in the mirror.

"I guess you're right." I said. "Hey, Pam, do you know anything about Eric?" I said. _Yeah, Carrie, act as if you don't care, as if you didn't want to ask her for days._

Pam looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Is that you miss him?" her feline voice said.

The truth was that I missed him like crazy. I still liked working at Fangtasia, but it wasn't half as fun without him, his sarcasm and insinuations. Not knowing where he was, if he was okay or if he was coming back didn't make better my feeling of emptiness. "I wonder where he is, what is he doing."

Pam looked at me for a second, passing her tongue over her teeth. "Ginger, get out." She said, and the blonde jumped and hurried out of the bathroom. "Carrie, I like you, really. And I think you're smart enough to know that Eric always says what he means, not another word. Don't you think that if he thought you had to know where he is, he would have said it to you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. Yes, I knew, but I just wanted to reduce the anxiety a little. "Yes." I admitted in a whisper. "He's gone to find out about the fangs somebody left on my door, right?"

Pam sighed. "If I hypothetically said yes, do you realize that it'd be to protect your hypothetical life and to discover the hypothetical threat that's after us, right?"

I swallowed. "What threat?" I asked. "Hypothetically." I added.

"Well, that idiot, Whitewater..."

"Clearwater." I corrected.

"Whatever, that guy was watching us. He had a notebook full of notes about our routine, the bastard was watching us closely, and someone was forcing him to do so. Given that we couldn't glamour him, we must assume that a vampire is behind everything. What a coincidence that you started working here and someone left that little gift on your doorstep. And what a coincidence that Clearwater seemed to recognize you."

"Do you think I have anything to do with all that shit?"

Pam approached me slowly and I swallowed. I liked Pam, she was a female version of Eric: sarcastic, funny and happy to be a vampire. But I was also aware of how fast she could bleed me to death. "Carrie..." she said, moving away a strand of hair from her face with her slender fingers. "I don't think you're against us, but I think that who is, wants something from you." Suddenly, her brow furrowed a little. "Hypothetically, Eric wants to know what it is and how he can avoid that they get it."

"So Eric left for... _me?"_

Pam cocked her head slightly. "He has his own way of caring for others. And even if it pisses me off, I agree with him on this."

I chuckled a bit. "Don't tell me that you hypothetically worry about me too."

Pam rolled her eyes. "Honestly, if Eric feels the interest I think he feels for you, if I was him, I would've already turned you and run off to the Caribbean with you." She said with a shrug. "But Eric has always told me I'm very impulsive, so..."

"If you talk to him... tell him thanks." I whispered. She sighed.

"Carrie, do me a favor and don't fuck with me. Every time a human with special features enters into our lives, it had only brought us headaches, pissed vampires and fights. I like you, I think you'd be a great vampire. But I have a limit."

I frowned. "You mean Sookie?"

"That damn fairy almost ruined my relationship with Eric throughout her Puritanism, her blonde hair and her precious vagina. And she has no sense of humor."

I laughed. "Well, you don't like her. That's weird."

Pam smiled. "You get it. Let's work. Today you'll get good tips, that dress you're wearing fits you like a glove."

I rolled my eyes, and pointed out the door with my head. "This kitten meows in another direction, Pam." I said, heading outward. Pam laughed softly behind me.

"That's what they all say."

I laughed and went to the bar, the first customers had entered. The night passed quietly, except for an incident involving broken glasses and Ginger screaming a lot, everything went smoothly. I went out to smoke a cigarette when it was about three in the morning. The night air was warm, though perhaps it only seemed it to me in because the bar was rather cold. I had been all night mulling over what Pam had said about the hypothetical intention of Eric's trip. An ancient Viking vampire had left everything to find who had sent me the mysterious present? Really? Well, I hadn't received anything else, so I couldn't see the threat. Surely it would be some idiot from Fellowship of the Sun or some similar organization that sought to frighten me and make me quit from the bar. Although I remembered with painful clarity the face that Eric had made when I showed him the box. Seemed more concerned about the symbol of the lid that about what was inside it. Would it mean anything to him?

"Hello, beautiful." Said a voice with a French accent near me. I turned my face to meet a vampire with black hair over his shoulders, pale and quite attractive, with piercing black eyes. By the way he moved and spoke, he had to be very old.

"Hi, handsome." I said with a smile. "The party is inside. We have all types of Tru Blood, and we do cocktails at everyone's taste." I said, trying to shake him off without being rude.

"I know." He said. "But I'm not interested. I'm Luca."

I smiled. "I'm Carrie."

The vampire stepped closer to me and the expression of 'looking eatable' took on a whole new meaning for me. "Carrie, you smell like violets and rain. And you're the most beautiful woman I've seen in five hundred years. And that's saying something."

I smiled nervously. "Yes it is." I said. "But actually I belong to another vampire." I lied.

Luca raised his eyebrows and looked at both sides of the alley. "I don't see another vampire around here." He said, and he extracted his fangs with a smile. I gulped and turned towards the door with a quick motion, starting to run, but suddenly, he was in front of me. With a nervous shriek, I closed my eyes tightly and gave him a slap, without being too conscious of what I was doing. I opened my eyes to see him licking blood out of his fangs with a smile.

"I love the quarrelsome ones." He said, grabbing my shoulders. I closed my eyes tight and screamed, and suddenly, Luca's grip disappeared. I opened my eyes to see him on the floor, against the wall, and Pam in front of me giving me her back, holding out her arms, protecting me.

"She's mine." Pam rasped, and Luca rose from the ground with a chuckle.

"Wow, that makes her even more attractive." He said. "You'll hear from me, beautiful Carrie." He smiled and disappeared. I gulped and looked at Pam, who was pulling the phone out her pocket.

"Are you okay?" She said as she placed the phone on her ear. I nodded, sighing. My heart was beating a mile a minute. I had slapped a vampire and I was alive. The adrenaline rush won't vanish any time soon, but I was unharmed. "_Eric, du är klar. Nej, det var en vampyr. Jag tror att han bara hade en crush på henne, verkar inte mycket farligt. Ja, Carrie väl, inte har berört. Okej, bye._" She said in her language, and hung up.

"It wa- it was Eric?" I said, readjusting my dress and pretending I didn't care that he hadn't called me in those days if he had availability to do so.

"Yes, he has warned me. He felt your fear."

I raised my eyebrows. Wow, what a strange thing. I didn't know where he was, but he did know where I was and how I felt. I pursed my lips and nodded, heading into the bar. Pam chuckled behind me.

"I told you, you look good in that dress."

"Pam, shut up."

That only made her laugh harder.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, I left the bar with my leaky jeans and my old Ramones sweatshirt, my very comfortable Converse, a ponytail and my face washed. The sun was breaking over the horizon, and Pam and Tara had already gone to sleep in their coffins. Leaving Fangtasia, I saw Alcide out of his truck, leaning against the door with a red plaid shirt and his huge arms crossed. I smiled. He was the opposite of the people I had been with all night. The memory of Luca flashed through my mind, but I shook my head to throw it away. I had decided to draw a veil over that night's incident, for the sake of my working life and my sanity. I quickened my pace up to Alcide, who leaned over to give me a brief kiss on the lips.<p>

"How was the night?" He said, opening the passenger's door. I sighed.

"Lots of leather and dark makeup. Normal. And I think Pam has the hots for me." I said, by climbing to the vehicle. Alcide laughed and sat in his seat.

"Not that I can blame her, but be careful."

"Ah, she won't touch me without my permission. She knows that will make Eric angry, and that's the last thing she wants."

Alcide grimaced as every time I talked about Eric. "Have you heard from him?"

"No." I lied. I trusted Alcide, but I didn't want to betray Pam's trust. I knew she had spoken to me about it despite Eric's wishes, and if she found that I had told it to a werewolf, she'll rip my face off. "Just that he hasn't come back yet, but he talks to Pam from time to time."

"And he didn't call you?"

The corners of my mouth lifted while Alcide started the engine acting completely normal. "I feel a slight trace of jealousy, perhaps?" I said. Alcide looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Just slight?" he asked, and I laughed and looked out the window, watching the sun rise.

"Today's been a full moon." I commented, changing the subject. I didn't like to talk about Eric with Alcide. "Have you killed a lot rabbits?"

He grimaced. "Rather not."

"It's still worrying you what Ethan told you?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Yes."

"And you still don't want to tell me?"

"Yes." he nodded.

"And I can't do anything to persuade you?"

Alcide grinned. "Well, we can go home and talk about it later, to see if I've changed my mind."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Sounds like a plan." I nodded.

We got home a few minutes later. I got out of the truck and walked over to him, grabbing his shirt and bringing him to me. He let a small growl escape from his chest and I chuckled, reaching his lips. I kissed him heartily and he lifted me up from my thighs until I circled his waist with my legs, Alcide walked to the house carrying me in his arms. I bit his lip hard and he groaned. Maybe I went a little far because I felt the salty taste of blood in my mouth.

"Oops." I said, licking my lips.

"You spend too much time with those fangers." Alcide whispered, licking his lip, removing the blood. "I don't understand how this can turn me on."

I laughed and bit his lip again, this time softer. Alcide laughed and walked into the house, he pinned me against the door, which he closed behind us, and I buried my hands in his hair with a sigh, while we were still kissing. Suddenly he stiffened and separated from my mouth, sniffing. I frowned.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, looking at his 'alert face'. He put me down and turned around.

"It smells like Rikki." He said, sniffing the air.

"Rikki? That insufferable wolf with which I fought in The Red Wolf?" I said, frowning. "Because of that bitch I lost my job."

I went to the kitchen frowning, Alcide sniffing behind me. Surely, that whore had turned and peed in the tealeaves from my garden. I opened the refrigerator door and I was frozen to what I found inside it. Before Alcide or I myself could react, I shouted with all my strength.

Inside the refrigerator, between eggs and cans of beer, it was Rikki's head.

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

_Eric, du är klar. Nej, det var en vampyr. Jag tror att han bara hade en crush på henne, verkar inte mycket farligt. Ja, Carrie väl, inte har berört. Okej, bye. - _ Eric, it's done. No, it was a vampire. I think he just wanted her, he didn't look really dangerous. Yeah, Carrie is fine, he didn't touch her. Ok, bye.


	15. Chapter 15: Something just ain't right

_**AN: **__SORRY GUYS! You know, life throws curve balls at me. To compensate you'll have 3 new chapters today, ok? Also, yep, I killed Rikki. Maybe because it was necessary for the plot, maybe because I hate her, you'll never know. *whispers* some blond vamp with an awesome ass will be back soon._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter VX: Something Just Ain't Right <strong>_

_I thought about you for a long time _

_Can't seem to get you off my mind _

_I can't understand why we're living life this way _

_I found your picture today _

_I swear I'll change my ways _

_I just called to say I want you to come back home._

_- Picture, _Kid Rock y Sheryl Crow.

* * *

><p>"Carrie!? Are you okay?" Charlie's voice sounded muffled under my uncontrollable screaming. The blank stare Rikki gave to me from the fridge made me scream until I almost rip my throat, and Alcide turned me around and held me close to his chest, stifling my cries against his shirt. I sobbed hard as I tried to calm myself.<p>

"It's a fucking head!" I said, without being able to say anything else. Charlie's steps were heard on the stairs and I closed the fridge and looked at Alcide. He hugged me tighter; Charlie appeared at the kitchen's door with a hair dryer in her hand, ready to attack. "Charlie, relax, go back to bed." Alcide said with a straight face, but my friend was pointing at him with the dryer.

"What happened?" She said, frowning. "Carrie, show me your face. What did he do to you?"

I raised my face from Alcide's chest and looked at Charlie, swallowing. "It wasn't him. There's a… there's… a… a head in the fridge."

Charlie lowered the dryer, her eyes widening. Then, she snorted and walked over to me, hugging me muttering: "Damn, why in the world I came to live in this house... Who is it? Are you ok? What the hell is going on? Why am I not even shocked?"

"It's Rikki, I told you about her."

"She had been missing for a while now." Alcide said, looking at me. "That's what Ethan told me."

I nodded and sat at the kitchen's table while Charlie was preparing tea. Okay, I hated that bitch, but I didn't want her to die, in fact, nobody's head would have been welcomed in my fridge. Alcide pulled a trash bag with a sigh.

"Wow, wow." Charlie said, raising her hands. "May I know what the hell you doing?"

Alcide shrugged. "Remove the head of my friend from Carrie's fridge."

"Isn't this supposed to be one of those things you call the police for?" Charlie said with a raised eyebrow.

"What do we say?" I said, raising my head from my hands. "That she had been missing for two weeks and no one had reported it? That someone's trying to scare the hell out of me? That I fought with her and I lost my job because of her, but I don't have anything to do with her death? And how to explain the relationship with the pack?" I sighed. "No, the police are not an option."

"Besides..." Alcide said. "You could say I had something with her before being with you."

I opened my eyes as much as possible. "You're telling me that the head inside my fridge belongs to the girl who made me lose my job _and_ that she was also the ex of the guy I'm screwing?" I said, with the sharpest voice I could emit.

"Yes, more or less. Not that we were a couple..."

I dropped my head until my forehead hit the table.

"Okay, no police." Charlie said, pouring the tea in two cups.

"Hey, Carrie..." Alcide said, with the refrigerator open in front of him. "It's not that I want to- but Rikki has something like… burned on her cheek, maybe it means something."

"Can you describe it? I'd rather not look."

"Well..." Alcide said. "There is an ax and a stake crossed. In the background there seems to be..."

"An eye." I said, raising my face from the table.

"Yes." Alcide said. "You seen it before?"

"Pretty much." I said, getting up to look at Rikki's head. It was the same symbol that was engraved on the wooden box, only this time it was recorded on the cheek of a woman. I gulped, trying to swallow the bitter taste of my tongue. "Alcide, put it in the bag, but leave it here. I need someone to see it." I said, taking the phone from my pocket and dialing.

* * *

><p>I took the last drag of my cigarette and I shoved the rest into the empty beer can, with a sigh. The sun was setting and I swayed in the double porch swing, swaying slowly on the white bench, barefoot and with wet hair, wearing a light apple green cotton dress. I had slept most of the day and had taken a shower. I hadn't been able to eat anything although I had managed to make Alcide leave after swearing repeatedly that I would be fine. I had sent Charlie to Jason's, and once alone, I couldn't stay inside the house. I couldn't help thinking that there was a fucking head in my fridge. Darkness was falling slowly while I lit another cigarette. Whoever it was who was leaving me messages, it was becoming creepy. He had killed a woman, for the love of God, just for trying to tell me something. And I didn't know what the fuck it was.<p>

"You know I love that dress." Said a soft voice near me, and I looked up with a smile at Eric. He wore a black shirt and a black leather jacket, with dark jeans. He was as handsome as ever, if not more, but he looked tired. At that moment, I realized how much I had missed him, even more than I thought. My heart raced wildly.

"Hello, Eric." I said. "You got here fast. Did you hear my message?"

Eric nodded, walking up and down the porch. "Yes, I heard it when I woke up. But I took a flight this morning, one that could carry my coffin. Your fear woke me up."

"Oops, sorry." I said, resting my head on the back of the swing. "My fear gives me horrible nightmares, if that makes you feel better."

Eric nodded. "It doesn't." He said. "Where is it?"

"Inside, in the fridge." I whispered, knowing fully well that he could hear me. Eric walked into the house while I stood outside waiting for him to come out, looking towards the forest beyond the road. Eric came out a moment later and sat next to me. "It's the same symbol." I said.

"Indeed."

"Can I ask where you've been?"

"Investigating the symbol in Sweden."

I raised my eyebrows and looked at the vampire's face; he was staring at me with a look I couldn't interpret. "Sweden? Why?"

"Did I ever talk to you about Godric?" Eric said, settling into the swing, but his feet stopped the swaying.

"No." I whispered.

"Godric was my maker." He said. "The vampire who turned me. He had over two thousand years, and he had seen a lot, even more than I have. He had many books of the history of our race, and many others. They were all in his property in Mälme, and that's where I've been. I knew I had seen that symbol somewhere, and if I could find it, I knew it was in the collection of Godric. And so it has been."

"Then…?" I muttered.

"That symbol is linked with the Watchers." He said with a serious gesture.

I frowned. "The Watchers? Who are they?"

"According to the legend, there was a time, many years ago, when supernatural beings inhabited the earth, outnumbering the humans." Eric said with a calm voice. "One tribe, tired of the constant massacres to their people, asked their gods for a way to combat them. Their gods approved the petition, granting them the power to fight the supernatural beings. They conferred them their enemies' powers: they could hypnotize like vampires, had the force of werewolves, the healing ability of fairies and were immune to the powers of other beings. They could also force them to uncover and turn into their true forms, revealing themselves. That is the curse of the Watchers: asking for a way to defend themselves against what they hated the most, they also became supernatural beings. The urge to kill possessed them, and they almost exterminated all the supernaturals, including harmless creatures like fairies or nymphs. When normal humans were safe, the Watchers vowed to stay in the shadows and fight from the silence."

I frowned, running my hand through my hair. "Are you kidding? So this is the symbol of some group of Vampire Slayers?"

Eric gave a lopsided smile. "Well, yes, but they hunt more creatures, not just vampires."

"Fuck..." I whispered. "Are you saying that you think they actually exist?"

Eric swallowed. "I know they do." He said. "The last time I saw one, and the only one, it was in the Middle Ages in France. He was fast and very well trained. I had a hard time killing him. And he wore that symbol engraved on the chest."

I sighed. "Motherfucker…" I said, putting my hand over my mouth. "Why are they doing this to me?"

"I'm handling several theories." Eric said. "But I think they know what you are and they fear to face you, so they are sending threats to make you disappear."

I couldn't help it, I laughed aloud. "They are afraid to face me?" I said. "They chopped off the head from the most badass werewolf I know… They. Ripped. Her. Head. Off. What could I do against them?"

Eric shrugged. "I don't know. But I'll find out."

I nodded, swallowing and feeling how my heart was pounding in my chest. Nothing made sense. Nothing. But Eric was there, and somehow that made me feel better. So much better. "Thank you, Eric."

"Don't mention it." He said. "The truth is that these are disturbing news. Apparently, they are the ones who are watching us. I think you have to be on alert."

I smiled. "Yes, we don't want Blade messing around in Fangtasia."

Eric smiled. "I think you don't take it seriously enough. They are supernatural beings created, raised and trained to hate and kill us all. They are merciless killing machines, and they wish with all their might to kill all vampires, wolves, shifters, anything."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "Ok, sorry. I'm really tired."

"I'll leave you alone. I have to go see Pam and the King, anyway."

"Eric, can you do one last thing for me before you go?" I said in a whisper, watching the vampire stood up and brushed some nonexistent dust from his pants.

"Tell me, Carrie." He said.

"Tonight I need a hug." I whispered, somewhat embarrassed, getting up. I knew it wasn't right to ask him this. Not with Alcide… but something inside of me, was screaming for Eric, for having him closer, just to get some comfort from him. As if he was the only one who could provide it. Eric approached me and brushed the hair from my shoulders, placing it back and surrounded my waist with his arms as I lifted mine to his neck, tiptoeing. Eric buried his face in my hair and I enjoyed his cool touch, but he suddenly stiffened under my embrace.

"What's wrong?" I whispered, fearing to find another head in the house. Eric pulled away from me, sniffing my skin in the way.

"You smell of him." He said, frowning, his eyes became dangerous. "Every fiber of your skin smells of that wolf." Fangs were extracted without warning and I swallowed. "What have you done, Carrie?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>__Jeez, Carrie, maybe you should think twice who you hang out __with__… Eric's angry!_


	16. Chapter 16: It's time to move forward

_**Chapter XVI: It's Time To Move Forward**_

_I tried not to think of what might happen,_

_When your reality, finally, cuts through._

_- Feeling Sorry, _Paramore.

* * *

><p>"What's wrong?" I whispered, fearing to find another head in the house. Eric pulled away from me, sniffing my skin in the way.<p>

"You smell of him." He said, frowning, his eyes became dangerous. "Every fiber of your skin smells of that wolf." Fangs were extracted without warning and I swallowed. "What have you done, Carrie?"

My breathing halted suddenly, I couldn't find any air on my lungs. "Eric, what..." I said, unable to stop looking at his large, sharp white fangs.

"Alcide." He said in an angry whisper. "You've been with him, right?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, yes, he's my friend. He was with me when we found the head and the werewolf was his friend."

Eric wrinkled his nose with a grunt. "You know that's not what I mean."

I ran my tongue over my teeth, feeling as anger grew inside me. Who the hell he thought he was? Did he have any rights on me? He had been gone for two bloody weeks! Not that there was anything between us before. "I am a free woman, single and..."

Eric approached me until his face was two inches away from mine. In any other moment that would have made my heart flutter. "You are mine." He growled.

"Bullshit." Said a low voice a few feet away, and we both turn to see Alcide standing on the grass of my garden, completely naked, and apparently very angry. I rolled my eyes.

"You..." Eric muttered, going down the porch steps with his fists clenched on his sides. I swallowed hard and went down, following Eric. "How do you dare touching her, dog?"

"It's what she wanted." Alcide said, almost snarling. "You don't have any effect on her, she's..."

"If you say 'mine', I'll scream." I said, getting between them. "I honestly don't know from where is this coming. And where you come from? What about your clothes?"

"I came to see how you were, I turned." Alcide said, without looking at me. "And it seems that now that I'm here, I'll kill a vampire."

_Damn. _I opened my eyes widely and raised my eyebrows in surprise, but Eric laughed. "Try it, wolf. That would only prove that you're equally stupid and weak."

"Enough!" I roared, but Alcide was transformed into a wolf in front of me and lunged Eric, knocking me down on his way. I fell to the ground, my palms hit the grass of my garden and I tried to catch my breath. Soon, a chorus of grunts and heavy breathing filled the night as the wolf and the vampire fought. Well, Alcide fought and Eric laughed as he moved from side to side, mocking him. I gritted my teeth nervously. There was no way this will end well.

Indeed, one of the times that Alcide attacked Eric, he bit his arm, which caused Eric to growl and grab his neck, forcing him to turn human again. Alcide's face was red as he grabbed Eric's arm hard, struggling against his grip. I ran to them.

"Eric, let him go!"

"Tell him. Tell him you're mine."

"I'm not yours. Nor his! But I don't want him to die. Neither of you." I said, going into the gap that existed between the two of them and putting a hand on the chest of each. Alcide was so warm and Eric so cold. Alcide's heart beat strongly yet Eric's chest was silent. They were like night and day. And I had tried to have them both.

"Carrie." Alcide hissed. "Get out."

With a quick movement, Alcide shifted into a wolf again, taking advantage of Eric's distraction, and launched into his neck, over me.

"_**NO**_!" I yelled and pushed with all my might to opposite sides, noticing how my anger reached its limit. Something happened. It was like if a brand new energy flowed through my muscles, from my chest to my arms until it reached my hands when I touched their chests. To my surprise, the wolf and the vampire were thrown in both directions, flying ten feet in the air and landing on the floor. They both looked at me surprised. "Alcide!" I said, my voice commanding.

The wolf turned into a human with a snarl, and looked at me with confusion and almost offended. "How...?" Eric started saying, but I looked at him with a frown, my nostrils dilated.

"I'm sick of this shit. _Leave me alone._ The two of you."

"This is your fault." Alcide told Eric.

"Yeah, and yours." I said, pointing an accusing finger to the brunet man. "These struggles of male egos are absurd, tiresome and stupid, and considering that there is a head in my fridge and a group of pissed off Buffies pursues me, I have no time for this. Yes, Eric, I've slept with Alcide, because I like him and sex is fun. And yes, Alcide, I do not intend to have another type of relationship with you, because I like Eric. But I don't care anymore."

"How can you not care?" Eric hissed. I sighed, walking to the front door.

"Because you're gonna get out of here. I withdraw the invitation to my house." I said, climbing the porch stairs, Eric's face froze and he retracted his fangs, offended. "And I can't force you, but you'll go away too." I said, looking at Alcide. The two stared at me with a frown as I opened the door of my house. I turned and looked at them one last time. "Are you deaf or testosterone has gone to your heads? Get _the fuck _out of here!" I said, and slammed the door closed.

* * *

><p>As always, the morning light gave a new vision of the previous night.<p>

"I screwed up." I said, staring and stirring my coffee.

"You screwed up." Charlie nodded. "I suppose you're still working at Fangtasia? Because, pardon my interest, but I have no job and our savings are not that great, precisely."

I shrugged, sighing. "Yes, I guess so. See, I don't think Eric is childish enough to fire me for this. Anyway, I gotta talk to him. And to Alcide. But I need some time to calm down." I said, looking out the window. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the entire kitchen. Anger had gotten the best of me, but a day after, with the bright light of sun, I almost burst into tears. I didn't want them out of my life. But... to be honest, I didn't know what I wanted. I just knew I felt terrible. I remembered their faces- the shock, the offense, the… pain.

"And you say you pushed them and they just, like, flew?" Charlie said with raised eyebrows. I nodded.

"It was as if a stream of anger went through my body, I don't know, I felt invincible for a moment. Maybe..." The phone rang and I shook my head. I raised my eyebrows a lot when I realized that the call came from Fangtasia. "Yes?" I said doubtfully.

"_Hello, Carrie." _Ginger said_. "I'm calling because Eric told me to remind you the orders Pam gave you."_

I closed my eyes shortly. It was true; Pam had given me a task list for that day, as complex as picking up clothes from the laundry. I cleared my throat. "Uh, yeah, I remember."

"_Okay."_

"Eric hasn't told you anything else? Nothing related to be fired?"

Ginger laughed across the line_. "Nah, Carrie. Eric loves you, don't worry. See you tonight, huh?"_

"Sure. Goodbye." I said, and hung up. I got up from the table with a sigh and stretched my back. "I'm going to get dressed, gotta do some errands." Charlie nodded frowning and I headed to my room with a strange sensation in the chest.

* * *

><p>I came home a few hours later with Eric, Pam and Tara's clothes above my shoulder and the feeling that I forgot something, as usual. I climbed the porch steps with my mind on other things when I heard the familiar deep voice of Alcide. It came from the backyard, and I headed there, hoping to have a clarifying conversation with him, but just before I got there, I heard the voice of Charlie and I stopped dead. I moved slowly, wanting to hear what they were saying.<p>

"But Carrie made it clear." Alcide said. "She doesn't want me here."

"That's because you angered her, but now she regrets! She doesn't want to lose you, either of you, as friends." Replied Charlie. "You know that the vampire will accept the proposal; he'll do anything to stay close to Carrie. Talk to her, woo her. Remember that you promised to take care of her."

I frowned. When had Alcide promised to take care of me? I heard him sigh. "I know, but this wasn't part of the plan. Ethan didn't explain anything to me, I just promised to keep her safe. Her parents told me..."

"What did they say?" I said, peeking around the corner. They both looked at me like if I just discover them burying a corpse.

"Carrie..." Charlie said.

"Yes, Carrie." I retorted. "Can you explain me what is happening here? Did you promise my parents to take care of me? When? Why?" Alcide looked down one second and then looked up at me, his expression tormented. "Alcide, no..." Charlie said softly.

"She deserves to know." Alcide said, and I noticed a lump in my throat. This was bad. I had never heard that tone on Alcide's voice. "Carrie, I promised your parents to watch over you when they learned you'd started working at a vampire bar. We can smell you, Carrie, and your smell is a magnet for them."

I raised my eyebrows. "What else?"

Alcide sighed. "Your parents wanted to keep an eye on you because they knew how that smell can make someone supernatural go crazy. Look what happened to Sam with Tom Clearwater! He jumped on him uncontrollably."

"You mean Tom Clearwater was the same I am?"

"No, he had only been in the company of people like you, but he was human. Imagine the magnitude of your smell."

I swallowed hard, frowning. I didn't want to know anything else, but I couldn't help keep asking. "How do my parents know that?"

"The same thing happened to them." Charlie said, looking down. "Twenty five years ago, one night they turned; they attacked a couple in the woods and devoured them."

I cocked my head. "How do you know that?"

Charlie sobbed; tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I found out years ago. They wanted to keep you safe."

"How many years?"

"...Fifteen."

I let out a breath. "Fifteen? When we were _ten_? Why did they tell you that? And how do you know, Alcide?"

"The whole pack of Jackson knew." He said. "They began to ask when they first smelled you. Sometimes it required all our self-control not to pounce over you when we were transformed."

I frowned and leaned back against the wall of the house, stunned. "Carrie." Charlie said. "There is another reason why the pack began to ask."

I looked at them again. "What?" I whispered, dreading the answer.

Alcide swallowed. "When your parents appeared with a baby one night, we had to know where she came from."

I put my hand over my mouth and as I noticed my eyes going wet. "My parents?" I said with a choked voice. "The couple who were murdered in the woods were _my parents_? The ones who got _devoured_?"

Alcide shook his head and walked over to me, but I took a step back. "Carrie, your parents are the people who raised you, who have loved and protected you."

"People who have made me feel like an outcast all my life, getting into a pack without being wolf." I replied. "People who have condemned me to spend my life without knowing who I am, wondering what was wrong with me because I didn't turn into a werewolf like my parents and my brother..." my voice trailed off, realizing the magnitude of the lie. The blood was boiling inside my body, my eyes stung and I just wanted to scream. "Ethan isn't my brother." I said in a whisper. "He only participated in the deception. _Murderers_." I snapped, looking at Alcide. "Liars. Traitors. I want nothing from you, I don't want..."

"Carrie, you're being unfair..." Charlie said, but I raised a finger to her.

"You're no better than them, you oh so human. I want you off my property when I return tomorrow morning. And I won't see you again, nor you, nor Ethan. You can tell him that I abjure him, as I do with you, Alcide Herveaux, although I'm not a wolf, take it seriously."

Alcide approached me pleadingly. At another point, I couldn't have refused to forgive him, but the gravity of the matter was too much. All my life based on lies and deceit, making me believe I was always one of them, who just had a mistake in my genes and therefore I couldn't turn. And in fact, they had eaten my parents because they smelled good. Because they were another species. Because they were like _me_. And everyone knew, even my best friend. How many times had she seen me cry because I couldn't turn? How many times had she heard me complain about how different I felt? How many times she stayed silent, letting me feel alone, desperate and lost, in a family that wasn't mine, in a place where I didn't belong?

"Carrie, I couldn't do anything..."

"Yes you could!" I said, noting as tears began running down my cheeks. "Of course you could! So hypocrites, trying to protect me from vampires when it was you who murdered my parents. This is just… This is too much..." I said, and turned around and ran out of there as fast as I could, stifling a sob that was born in my chest.


	17. Chapter 17: Touch me

_**Chapter XVII: Touch Me **_

_Beggin' on my knees_

_Baby, won't you please_

_Run your fingers through my hair_

_My, my, my_

_Whiskey and rye_

_Don't it make you feel so fine?_

_Right or wrong_

_Don't it turn you on?_

_Can't you see we're wastin' time, yeah._

_- Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah), _Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.

* * *

><p>It was funny how Fangtasia had become the closest thing to a home I had. I had been stuck there for hours, talking with Ginger about banalities and helping her clean, and I felt comfortable and quiet within its walls. <em>Protected<em>. Although that changed a bit when Eric woke up.

"Miss Corbett..." he said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow and passing behind me to achieve everything I had brought, clothes, mail, etc..

"Eric." I said, fighting the urge of rolling my eyes. "You can call me Carrie, you know?"

Eric looked at me questioningly. "If I remember correctly, the exact words were: _'I withdraw the invitation to my house'_. I interpret it as a clear estrangement between us."

This time, I rolled my eyes. "God, Eric, you have a thousand years. Grow up."

Eric smiled. "You do not understand me, Carrie." He said. "It's true that you were the one who kicked me out, but that would not have changed the outcome. Our relationship will now be strictly professional, since you're the best waitress I have and people drink more since you are here. In addition, I respect my contracts. That's the furthest we're going together. I don't want to know anything about you, Carrie Corbett."

I swallowed, feeling as if a million daggers were stabbing me, piercing my body. The pain his words had caused me was almost breathtaking, but I could muster enough strength to say in a firm voice, "We agree on something then, Mr. Northman."

Eric gave me a cold and deadly look and turned away, back to his office with the mail in his hands. I cleared my throat, watching as he walked away from me in every sense of the word. Tara and Pam were already there and had witnessed the scene. Pam followed Eric, but Tara approached me.

"What the hell happened?" She said frowning.

I had missed him so much. I had missed him badly. For weeks, I had thought of him daily, dreamed of him. He was gone for me, to protect me, to help me, and he had come back because I had problems. And everything had been ruined in seconds. I knew sleeping with Alcide wouldn't be a good idea. I knew that I felt sad and alone, and I was drunk and he was so sweet... I felt a lump in my throat that prevented me from swallowing, from breathing, for a moment I thought I wasn't going to say a word, I was going to choke right there on the floor of Fangtasia, and nobody would lift a finger to help me. Even he, the person in whom I trusted most in the world two days ago, now would watch me die on the tiles of his bar. And maybe he would even laugh. That thought was so painful that I put my hand on my neck, feeling the beating of my heart in full speed, just under my skin. My eyes burned and Tara looked at me with an expression of deep concern that made me sigh. Against all odds, I was able to answer.

"Today I had a shitty day." I said, getting up and putting my jacket on. My body was numb, it seemed impossible that it was answering me. But I could move like a robot, focusing on the movements of the arms, legs, without thinking of my chest, my heart, and I thought I would break into pieces at the feet of my friend. "I'm going to get drunk at a seedy bar."

Tara cocked her head, one hand on her hip. "Are you kidding? You ain't gonna tell me?"

I looked at her pleadingly. "Tara, I have no strength. Not right now..." I said, tears started running down my cheeks while a sharp sob escaped my throat.

"Fuck..." Tara said, and walked over to hug me. Her strong arms wrapped around my back and I curled up against her cold chest, sobbing quietly to avoid Eric to hear me. "What have they done to you, Carrie?"

I shook my head. "Nothing that I didn't deserve." I said. "And now I feel more alone than I have ever felt. I still don't know what I am, and I've learned that my parents are not my parents, my brother is not my brother, my friend is not my friend, and my whole life is a lie formed on the foundations of a grisly murder. I need tequila." I said, turning away from her and heading for the exit.

"Carrie!" Tara said behind me. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

I didn't turn to answer.

* * *

><p>I was to accomplish my plan, but halfway I regretted and decided to go home and cry hugging my pillow and watching a sad movie. The choice was <em>The Bridges of Madison County<em>, one of the most sentimental movies that had a place in my film library. Charlie's suitcases were gone and I realized it was the first time in a long time that I was all alone at home. That just made me sob harder.

"But he loves you, Meryl!" I yelled at the screen, throwing a dirty hankie at it. I fell asleep in the early morning, head pounding and my throat and eyes sore, so I couldn't hear that someone was sniffing in my garden.

When I woke up, it was almost dark. I showered and dressed to kill, a red, tight, V-neck dress was the choice. I was going to go out, I was going to dance and I was going to get drunk. Another night crying at home wasn't allowed.

I left home and stayed still for a moment, looking at my torn garden. There were holes here and there, scattered all over the yard, and paw prints on the ground.

"Oh my- fuc- Motherfuckers!" I whispered, crossing the garden with gritted teeth. "I hope that wasn't Ethan, because I'll kill him."

I went back into the house and grabbed a post-it of the fridge. I looked for a pencil and quickly scribbled a threat to my not-brother, then stuck it in the front door with a slap, saving my pencil and the rest of post-its in my purse.

_Awesome_. The night was beginning to get screwed up.

I chose a bar where I had never been, but passing in front of it, I heard AC/DC sounding inside, and that helped me decide. I didn't even catch the name, just walked in and went straight to the bar, feeling as if someone was staring at me. I decided to ignore it, and the three shots I asked went down my throat like water.

"Well, well, we meet again. And you're all alone." Said a voice with a French accent next to me. I turned to him, rigid, to meet the vampire's black hair and deep dark eyes piercing me. I swallowed.

"Luca." I whispered.

"Carrie." He said. "It's a pleasure to see you here. I think we started on the wrong foot."

"Well, I don't like that somebody tries to eat me."

Luca chuckled, his laugh was musical and his teeth were straight and perfect. "Yeah, well, sorry." He said, shrugging. "Sometimes I lose a little control." His eyes intently fixed on mine and I felt like a stream hit me ."Come with me outside, Carrie."

He was trying to glamour me. My brain worked a mile a minute. What should I do? If I made it clear that he couldn't hypnotize me, that would just encourage his interest, but if I went with him, God knew what he could do to me.

"I don't want you to bite me." I whispered weakly. He smiled.

"I won't. I just want us to be alone."

I nodded and let him hold my hand and take me out, with my heart pounding on my ears. I looked for an escape around me, without success. _I wish Eric was here. _Luca took me gently to the back of the bar. The alley smelled of garbage and urine, and I swallowed hard.

Luca put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me against the wall. I gritted my teeth while he sniffed the skin of my neck. "What are you?" He asked in a whisper, but I shrugged my shoulders.

"I wish I knew." I muttered. He smiled and showed off his fangs. I felt a wave of fear through my body, altering every fiber of my being. "You told me you weren't going to bite me." I said shakily.

Luca looked at me with pity. "I lied to you, sweetheart."

It all happened so fast. Luca pounced his mouth against my neck while I pulled the pencil from my purse, and a gust of wind lifted my hair.

"Get away from her!" Eric yelled, and Luca turned his head to the other vampire with a confused expression, in the same moment that I stabbed the pencil in his heart with all my strength.

It was the most terrifying image I had ever seen. Luca's face contorted into an impossible grin, while a stream of blood came from his mouth, spraying me, his face seemed to melt. Then there was a kind of explosion and the vampire was gone, leaving me covered in blood and a nasty solid mucus. I opened my mouth to scream, but Eric approached me in a blink and covered my mouth with his hand.

"He's gone, Carrie." He said, I realized his fangs were extracted and I looked at them, my eyes wide open. He saw where I was looking and he retracted them. "Nobody's going to hurt you." He added, taking me by the waist and pressing me against him. Then my feet left the ground when Eric flew, gripping me against his body, and I closed my eyes tightly to avoid getting dizzy. I could smell the vampire's blood so clearly that I wanted to vomit.

The flight was short and I kept my eyes closed the whole time, but when we landed in front of Fangtasia, I had to hold his arms strongly to keep me from falling. I didn't know if it was dizziness or shock, but I felt weak and I was staggering.

"Eric, I killed him."

"I know. And if you hadn't done it, I would have."

I looked at the blue-eyed vampire who was still holding me and a giggle escaped my lips, but then I winced. "It was the most disgusting thing I've seen in my whole life."

Eric chuckled. "Come inside. You'll want to take a shower."

I nodded enthusiastically to the proposal. I felt powerful at that time; I had killed a century old and strong vampire who wanted to eat me, with a fucking pencil. I didn't know if it was common for humans to kill vampires, but it had been an unique experience to me. Firstly, because I had never thought of having to defend myself to that extent, and secondly, because I hoped not to have to do it again.

* * *

><p>I left Eric's private bathroom in Fangtasia wrapped in large white towel Eric had given me and I found him sitting on his throne, talking on the phone in Swedish. He had changed his clothes, now he was wearing a black shirt and dark blue jeans that fitted him like a glove. My dress was now useless, but I thought briefly what kind of face the cleaners would make if I brought it to them. I sighed and leaned on the bar until I reached the bottle of whiskey (the most expensive one) and a glass, and I poured it, with my back to Eric. My wet hair was falling over my bare back and I could hear the drops falling on the floor. Although I had thoroughly washed myself, I still felt sticky and dirty.<p>

"Why can't vampires die as in _Buffy_?" I said, giving a drink to the glass. It made my whole body burn, and it felt great. "Puff! For dust you are and to dust you shall return. Without such filth."

Eric laughed somewhere behind me. "Well, we're not dust. We are blood. Better, after the shower?"

I turned my head slightly to look at him over my shoulder. Eric bit his lip and looked me straight to my legs. The towel hid me from up mid-thigh, and suddenly I felt very exposed. Wearing only a towel. Maybe it was inappropriate. He had already made it clear that he wanted nothing with me.

"Yes." I whispered. "Now I'm gonna dress up, and I'll go as soon as possible."

"Don't be in such a hurry." He said, and his voice was right behind me. I swallowed hard and stiffened, as I gave another drink to the glass.

I noticed Eric's fingertips on my shoulder. They moved slowly to my neck and my back and went to my other shoulder. I closed my eyes, letting out a breath of air through my lips. It was like where his fingers were passing, even after they moved to another spot, I could still feel his touch. Just that. He just needed that to make all my body tremble, just a touch of his fingertips made me melt, made me become a trembling little girl, anxious for his caresses. I noticed as he approached me, his body encountered mine and pushed me against the bar, I held my breath. He bowed his head until his lips brushed my ear. I got goosebumps all over my body, and he noticed, because he laughed softly, his voice reverberated within me.

"Your heart is beating so fast, Carrie." Eric said. "Are you scared?"

I swallowed and shook my head slowly. One hand rested against my thigh and it started its way up slowly, lifting the towel in its path. "Eric, I thought you said you didn't want anything with me..." I whispered, not quite daring to turn my face around. His other hand brushed the hair from the right side of my face, placing it on the opposite side. I felt his lips against the curve of my jaw and I suppressed a sigh.

"I was angry." He whispered, his lips down my neck and I felt like the lower part of my abdomen tightened. "I wasn't thinking straight... You think you are indifferent to me?" He said, and pressed himself closer to me. At that time, his left hand had lifted the towel completely, and his pants hit my flesh, I could clearly feel him against my skin, feeling his arousal.

"Not really." I said, unable to hold back any longer, I turned my face only a few inches to him. Our eyes met, his blue eyes sparkled. Slowly I pulled my face to his until my nose touched his nose, my breathing quickened. "You think you're indifferent to me?" I whispered back, an inch away from his mouth. The corners of Eric's mouth lifted and his left hand moved down from my waist, stroking my back, and then stood on the inner part of my thigh. I opened my mouth with anticipation as he raised his hand, slowly, deliberately slowly, until it reached its destination and I let out a low moan.

"Not really." Eric whispered and rushed his mouth against mine, our lips met with violence, open, in a deep kiss. While Eric's fingers moved against my crotch at a slow but delicious pace, his other hand went down my chest to untie the towel, which fell with a soft noise. My stomach was smashed against the bar while Eric hugged me from behind; his hands seemed to be everywhere as his tongue moved against mine.

So fast that I don't know how I didn't get dizzy, Eric turned me around and lifted me up, sitting me on the bar. I was surprised of how quickly I reacted, throwing my hands on him to remove his shirt. I grabbed both sides and pulled, buttons jumped everywhere. With a low growl, Eric extracted his fangs, and my whole body shuddered. His body looked chiseled, shaped by an expert sculptor to create the ideal of male beauty. He moved slower than I had ever seen him move while he unbuttoned his pants and took them off, standing before me heavenly naked. I bit my lip as I watched him.

"To be honest, I've always found appealing to do this with a virgin." Eric said, approaching me. I laughed, a nervous but genuine laughter.

"I'm not a virgin, Eric, from a long time now." I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Have you ever done this with a vampire?" He asked. I shook my head. "Then, as far as I'm concerned, you're a virgin."

I swallowed hard as the damn Scandinavian God approached me and surrounded the nape of my neck with one hand while the other was guiding himself into me.

Our lips met while he introduced himself intentionally slowly inside of me and I opened my mouth, hungry for him. I ran my tongue over his fangs as a groan went out his throat, which only made me put my hands on his shoulders, digging my nails into his flesh, for balance. Eric growled and wrinkled his nose in an expression almost animal when I dug my nails in his back, and he began to move faster and faster as the kiss became deeper and deeper.

It was blisteringly fast and painfully slow at the same time. He was moving much faster than a human, a shifter or a werewolf, it was almost violent, but it seemed that our contact would be eternal. I tilted my head back, pulling away from his lips, and he grabbed my hips and lifted me. A second later, we were on the throne, and I sat up with my legs on either sides of his body. My head was spinning. Eric stared at me while I set the pace, for my own relief.

"Like this?" I asked with a smirk, as I moved my hips forward, then backwards, and saw his eyes sparkling as he looked at me, without blinking. I made circles with my hips and closed my eyes, enjoying the sensations around me; him inside me, deeply, tightly, his hands on my hips, holding me strongly, his muffled moans and my breathing, a drop of sweat ran down my back just before noticing Eric's hand on my chin. I opened my eyes and lowered my face to his.

"Look at me." Were his only words, and I leaned to kiss him without stopping moving the hips. His fangs punctured the inside of my lip, but I didn't mind at all.

"That hurt, darlin'." I chuckled, and he smiled widely, grabbing the nape of my head and crashing his mouth against mine, his lips meeting furiously my lips, and his tongue assaulted my mouth without any warning. I moaned against his mouth, but put both hands on his shoulders and pushed him, pressing him against the throne, smiling. "I do breathe, remember?"

He chuckled a bit more and grabbed my hips as he rose his, going deeper inside me and making me close my eyes tightly as I felt it. So deep inside me it seemed we would never be able to separate. "Have I taken your breath away already?" he murmured.

"You're close…" I sighed, as he incorporated a bit and his mouth met my chest, his lips kissed the space between my breasts and then I felt his wet tongue making a trail to one of my breasts, the tips of his fangs scratching the delicate skin. "Don't bite there…" I whispered, and his blue eyes rose to look at me.

"Why not?" He asked, the rhythm slowed as I moved on him more carefully, looking at him.

"It will hurt too much."

Eric smiled and gently bit my breast, taking the nipple between his teeth as his fangs pressed against my skin. "It won't hurt if I don't want it to hurt." He whispered, and his fangs entered my skin only for a brief moment, just two drops of blood went out my skin and I moaned, because the feeling was good. It was as if his fangs had sent an electric rush through my body directly to my crotch, making me shiver. "Did it hurt?" He asked, licking the blood from his lips and placing a kiss in my collarbone.

"No… it didn't." I said, kissing him fiercely as I quickened the movement of my hips and he chuckled.

Don't know how long we stayed like that until I started to notice a heat wave up my back to my neck, Eric noticed it in my face and straightened. I knew what he wanted to do. I had always known that sex with Eric would include this, that's why I asked him not to bite me before. That was what he needed to stay completely sated. I asked myself if a deep bite, and he drinking my blood, would be as pleasurable as the little bite on my breast had been. I let him guide me until I lay on the floor, his weight on me, and the pace slowed while I delightfully threw my head back, exposing my neck. I heard a growl going out from his chest.

The pain was sharp and terribly pleasant at the same time. I noticed my neck moistened as I reached that powerful orgasm, my body convulsed as never before as he drank my blood, my fingers gripped his hair tightly. I still hadn't finished shuddering when Eric moaned slightly and his mouth went from my neck to my lips, kissing me with desire as his back arched and his body suffered a delicious spasm. After that, his weight fell on me while his mouth was still against mine, my cheek got wet with the liquid that was pouring from our united mouths. His tongue tasted salty and metallic now, and I didn't mind, though I knew that was the taste of my own blood.


	18. Chapter 18: How Sinister and How Correct

_**AN: **__I'm always apologizing and disappearing lol. But here's another chapter._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter XVIII: How Sinister And How Correct<strong>_

_I tore the muscle from your chest _

_And used it to stub out cigarettes _

_I listened to your screams of pleasure _

_Now watch the bed sheets turn blood red. _

_- Ashtray Heart, _Placebo.

I turned myself around to lie on my side and face Eric. We had moved the party to his room, and we were on that bed I woke up on a distant day with his blood inside me. I sighed, my body was better and worse than ever at a time: I felt relaxed, satisfied and at ease, but all my body hurt. Eric was right; sex with a vampire was something different.

There were bloodstains on the sheets, and interestingly, it wasn't unpleasant or odd to me. It was as it should be. I had cleaned the blood from my neck with them. I had frowned when Eric had punctured his fingertips with his fangs, but when he passed his blood over the open wounds on my neck, I smiled gratefully. I didn't care about other marks, but the round scars left by fangs were too telltale for my taste. The gesture seemed strangely tender to me.

Eric moved the tips of his fingers along my side, his eyes unfocused. He was gorgeous, his blond hair was tousled and his face was quiet, I could tell he was comfortable. The night before we had argued, and twenty-four hours later, we were there, lying naked, exhausted (at least me), and enjoying a moment of absolute peace. I couldn't help but smile.

"Eric, what are you thinking about?"

Eric looked up at my face. "Alcide."

"Wow, I wasn't expecting that." I whispered, frowning. Eric smiled.

"I was thinking that I hate that you and Alcide had moments like this too."

I sighed and moved closer to him. "We didn't. Yeah, maybe we talked a bit after sex, but that wasn't normal. I never felt like this with him." I admitted in a whisper, feeling a little guilty. Saying it like that made it seem that I had used Alcide as a sexual toy, but, well, it had been more like a friend with benefits. Eric raised his eyebrows.

"Like what?"

I bit my lower lip. "I don't know how to explain it." I said, running my hand through his blond hair.

"Try it."

_Always so goddamn commanding_. "Whenever I slept with Alcide, then I had a bitter aftertaste because I ended up thinking about you, and I felt bad. But now I don't feel like that."

Eric smiled. "Did you think of me when you slept with him?"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't say that. I said _after_. Don't know if it has something to do with kicking him out my life, but..."

"Carrie, don't fool yourself, he will come and talk to you. You were angry, but not..."

"I'm not talking about that." I said, interrupting him. "Yesterday I learned something, Eric."

I explained Eric the whole story, with full detail, and tears ran down my face with nothing to stop them. I felt safe under his sheets, and I explained things as I thought them. Eric wiped my tears with a caress and kissed me gently.

"Don't worry, Carrie." He said. "I'll get to the end of this."

I nodded. "It's funny. Part of me wasn't surprised at all."

Eric stroked my cheek. "Well, you knew you were different. That your wolf parents weren't your real parents was a considerable possibility."

I sighed. "Yes, I guess it makes sense. But still, I feel lost."

"You don't need to. Here you have a place to go, where you will be protected."

I raised an eyebrow. "In your bed?"

Eric laughed and kissed my knuckles. "By my side." He whispered, and I noticed how I got goose pimples.

"Eric, what does exactly mean being yours?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That no other vampire can touch you and feed of you. Only I can maintain a relationship with you. The romantic or sexual kind of the relationship is decided by the involved."

"And you can't sleep or feed of anyone else?" I shook my head. "Eric, I'll be yours only if we are equal in the relationship. You can drink the blood of whoever you want, but if you kiss or fuck somebody, I'll consider it a betrayal."

Eric got on top of me; I circled his hips with my legs. "Are you telling me you want to be mine?"

"Only if you are mine." I whispered.

Eric's lips fell on mine with a smile, which I reciprocated. "When I sensed your fear tonight, I realized that no matter how angry I was with you, I couldn't let anything happen to you." He whispered against my lips. I smiled widely.

"I'm glad." I said. "Although it seems I do well enough by myself."

Eric laughed quietly. "Yeah, you're a tough cookie..." he whispered, and I put my hands on his shoulders, rolling him until I was over him. I arched my back to kiss him while he brushed my hair away from my face.

"I guess that's a yes to being mine." I whispered. Eric half smiled.

"It is." He said. "I knew that sooner or later you'd be mine."

I pulled away from his face, sitting on him. I smiled mockingly. "What does that mean? That you consider me some kind of award or an easy girl?"

Eric sat up, hugging me. "I knew that eventually you'd realize what you feel about me, and what I feel about you, and you'd want to be with me."

I smiled and kissed him, glad at his words. "Can I stay with you until the morning?" I asked. Eric smiled and hugged me tighter, forcing me to lie back on the bed beside him.

"Stay as long as you want, while you don't stab me with a pencil."

I laughed, giving him a soft punch in the chest and curling up beside him. Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

* * *

><p>I woke up in the afternoon, feeling cold. I opened my eyes to find myself alone in Eric's bed. I sat up quickly and looked sideways; Eric's coffin was there, beside the bed. I got up and approached it, I opened it slowly. Eric was inside, sleeping with a blank expression. He looked so different while he slept, his calm expression made him look almost innocent, and I contained myself from running my fingers through his blond hair. I smiled and closed the coffin with a sigh.<p>

I went to the closet and found some kind of red and black robe, made of silk. I chuckled as I took it.

"So tacky." I whispered, but I put it on. It was soft and fresh, and smelled of Eric. I grabbed my panties and I put them on too, taking my phone and putting it between my hip and the underwear's fabric, unconsciously expecting a call from Charlie. I ran my fingers through my hair and left the room, going to get something to eat at the bar. I was famished.

I opened the door and went upstairs; when I opened the second door, which led me to the bar, a chorus of screams welcomed me.

"Ginger, it's me!" I said, when I could compose myself from the fright.

"Carrie, god, you scared me!" Said the blonde waitress with wide eyes.

"Sure, I'm the scary one here…" I said, taking a bottle of water.

"What are you doing here? And where are your clothes?"

I sighed. "Long story short, let's say I spent the night here."

Ginger shook her head. "With Eric?" She seemed equally surprised and displeased.

"With Eric." I nodded, giving a drink of the bottle.

"I thought you guys argued?"

"We've made it up."

Ginger nodded and continued doing her thing while I went to Eric's office. I sat at his desk and turned on his laptop, without really knowing what I was doing, as I lit a cigarette. I frowned as I typed into Google.

_**Couple murdered in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1988**_. And I pressed enter.  
>The results came instantly and I frowned at the photos of the bodies. Soon I found what I was looking for. A photo of a smiling couple. Kayah and Olaf Winters. My parents. Wow. I felt a surge of feelings, but confusion won. She looked a lot like me, with black, thick hair and a pale face, with big eyes. And he had the same fleshy lips I had. I rested my chin on one hand. I heard Ginger scream, but I didn't listen. Probably she saw a mouse, a butterfly, or her own shadow.<p>

I clicked on the photos of the crime scene and observed bodies of my parents torn by animals. The lump in my throat grew bigger.

"Wait a second..." I whispered, amplifying the image. In one of the photographs was clear my father's chest, scratched and bitten, yes, but the mark was clearly visible on the left side, over the heart.

An ax and a stake crossed, over an open eye.

The office door swung open and I looked up, still somewhat bewildered by what I had seen. Three tall women, dressed in black with their hair in a braid looked at me from the doorway. "Wha-?" I stood frowning, but before I could say anything, the three surrounded me, and pulling out an injection with a quick motion, they stabbed it in my neck. After a moment of confusion, the office spun around me, and everything went black.

* * *

><p>I woke up disoriented, and my head hurt horribly. I sat and tried to think. I was on a very comfortable bed, covered with a down comforter, still wearing Eric's robe.<p>

"You woke up!" Said a cheerful voice near me. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my eyes to the bright light of the room. It was a small and modest room, sparsely furnished and with austere decor, but very functional. A girl approached me from across the room, her black hair fell to the side of her neck, loosed, and she wore baggy jeans and a simple white shirt. She had huge green eyes, with long eyelashes, but she wasn't wearing makeup. I jumped back against the headboard of the bed to get away from her. Her eyes grew sad. "I know it hasn't been the best way to get you here, but we couldn't risk waking up the vampires. And it was taking you too long to come to us."

I swallowed hard, my throat was dry. "To who? Who are you?"

The girl grinned. "I'm Naya, and I am a Watcher."

I raised my eyebrows until they almost met my scalp. "Are you going to kill me?" I asked honestly.

She laughed. "Why would we do that, Sayara?"

I frowned. "You have been sending me threats for weeks."

Naya cocked her head. "They weren't threats, they were warnings. The time has come."

"What time?"

The girl sat on the edge of the bed, with the world's happiest look. "The moment that you'll join our brotherhood. The moment your inner Watcher has awoke, don't matter how many times they have tried to stop it. The moment you come home."

I opened my mouth, trying to say something, but I was speechless. "Who are you? And why do you call me Sayara?"

The girl smiled. "Sayara is your name. The name our parents gave to you before they were murdered. I was only three years old at the time. My name is Naya. And I'm your sister."


	19. Chapter 19: Give me the Truth

_**Chapter XIX: Give**__** Me**__** The Truth**_

_So this is you_

_You__'__re talking to me_

_You found a million ways to let me down_

_So I__'__m not hurt when you__'__re not around_

_I was blind. _

_- The Truth, _Good Charlotte.

"My sister... like, _blood_ sister? Or like sisterhood sister?"

Naya laughed, her laughter was identical to mine, and it gave me chills. "Well, both. Your parents were my parents. I was three years old when you were born, Sayara. You were very tiny, with a bush of amazing black hair." She said, leaning closer to me. I sat closer to her and Naya ran her hand down my cheek, her eyes filled with tears. "I loved you since you were born. And the day they died, everybody thought you were dead, but not I. Although it took me a long time to find the truth."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "And where were you when that happened?"

Naya smiled. "Here, at The Shelter."

"The Shelter?"

"Sayara, nobody told you anything about us?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eric told me about the legend of the Watchers, about your origin and your powers. But I knew nothing of you before that."

Naya cocked her head. "The tall vampire? He told you?" I nodded. "And why did he do such a thing?"

"We thought you wanted to kill me, and Eric wanted to protect me."

"The vampire wanted to protect you? Why?"

"Well..."

"Don't misunderstand me." Naya said, smiling. "I know the kind of relationship you have with him, and the one you had with the wolf. You were in the bar, without clothes. I'm not stupid, and he's handsome. But vampires are not selfless."

"I don't know what to say." I said, confused. I was in a difficult situation; I didn't know how Naya could react to my words.

"You can speak freely." She said. "I won't judge you or get mad at you."

I smiled. "Do you read minds?"

She shrugged and winked. "You are my sister."

"In that case, I know what you think of vampires, but Eric is different. In fact, most of them are more evolved than you think."

Naya grimaced. "Get dressed. I'll walk you through The Shelter. I think you need to be more informed about who is your family, Sayara."

I got up and grabbed the clothes she had left on a chair for me. I dressed giving my back to her, not because I was ashamed, but because I had the phone inside my panties and I didn't want Naya to see it. I wore black sweatpants and a white tank top and I turned to Naya as I collected my hair in a ponytail.

"I would prefer you to call me Carrie." I said. "I'm twenty-five and I've always been called Carrie."

"I've been calling you Sayara for twenty-five years in my dreams, and in my prayers. Our parents gave it to you. It's the mother of our mother's name as well."

I sighed. "Whatever. And what the hell is _The Shelter_?"

Naya smiled and took my hand, leading me out of the room. It looked like a hotel, consisting of long corridors with doors at both sides. "The Shelter is our home. Here we live, train and study. Of course, it is also a safe place; it's invisible from outside since we're underground, so it's virtually undetectable to other creatures, including humans and vampires. Our smell is camouflaged so they can't find us. This is the library." Naya said, opening a door. Inside, a large circular room whose walls were covered with books, waited for us. I opened my mouth, surprised by the grandeur of the room, and entered.

"This is amazing." I whispered.

"The Legend of the Watchers is true, but is somewhat out-of-date. Today, we don't kill for killing, but we locate and watch the packs and the nests. Furthermore, we are informed about the police investigations and we take care of the crimes committed by supernatural beings. The Watchers of antiquity were ruthless, and it cost them their anonymity and the loss of many loved ones. Now we are nearly invisible and unknown, only the oldest vampires remind us. We don't hunt innocent creatures. Our ancestors extinct many harmless races, and we are not in favor of death. But…" She said, staring at me. "We don't let a human die without revenge. And even less one of us. We haven't hunted your captors for respect to you. We are waiting for your command."

I raised my eyebrows. "My command?" I said, confused. "Wait, you intend me to send you to kill _my parents_?"

Naya groaned. "They aren't your parents!" She closed her eyes for a moment, breathing slowly, and I swallowed hard. "And the wolf is not your brother. We've been waiting so many years."

"Ok, I get it, but you have to realize that I didn't know you existed until a few days ago, and I thought you wanted to kill me a few _minutes_ ago. You can't expect to do a family meal from one day to another. Also, the people I am most attached to are supernatural beings."

Naya rolled her eyes. "I must say that I'm not thrilled about your company." She said. "But I think you haven't been treated badly. Both the Viking and the two female vampires have protected you, and the wolf too, though in a very wrong cause. And the witch and the shifter are good people, though the last one attacked our poor Tom."

"You knew Tom Clearwater?"

"Sure, he was our human spy. He was responsible of collecting information, and get you. Although I think Anaya went too far glamouring him..."

I shook my head, amazed. "So you were behind it all?"

"We always are." Said a male voice from the doorway, and I turned to find a man with long straight dark blond hair, and brown beard, who looked at me raising an eyebrow over his green eyes. He was very tall and wore a thin long sleeved khaki green T-shirt and brown pants. He was attractive.

"This is Aryan." Naya said as he approached.

"And you're the expected Sayara." Said the man, putting his hands on my shoulders. "The resemblance to your sister is amazing."

I swallowed. "Thank you." I muttered.

"I hope that the initiation ceremony is soon, I've really wanted to have an excuse to drink and eat my fill." Aryan said with a dazzling smile. "I know it sounds painful..." he said, opening a little his shirt and showing me The Watchers brand etched on his chest. "But it's worth it. You'll see."

I gulped and turned back to Naya. "Do you have it too?"

Naya nodded. "Sure, we all do. We get it after killing the first one."

"Which you've already done." Aryan said. "Twice."

I frowned. "Excuse me?"

Naya sighed. "Aryan is among those who believe that humans should be our objectives too."

"Only when they stop behaving like humans." Aryan intervened. "And the guy you killed was little more than an animal." He half smiled. "I've never seen anyone kill somebody with a shoe. It had a very sharp heel. The truth is that I liked it."

Naya rolled her eyes. "Eh... You were there?"

Aryan nodded. "Indeed." He said. "Well, not me, of course, my crow."

I raised my eyebrows. "Is that supposed to be some kind of metaphor?"

"I haven't talked her about the Masters yet." Naya said, looking reprovingly at Aryan.

"Masters?" I said, frowning. "Is this some _50 Shades of Grey _shit?"

They both laughed. "No, Sayara." Aryan said. "I am a Master. The Masters are Watchers with the special ability to see through the eyes of an animal trained by us. It is a great method of espionage."

I frowned. "Like a shifter?"

Aryan laughed, but shook his head. "No, we don't turn into the animal. We can control the animal while we possess it, and we can only do it with one with whom we maintain a link. Mine is a crow."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, that's cool."

"Yes, really cool." Naya said. "Stop acting like a macho in front of my sister and let us do our route."

"You won't let me go with you, sister?" Aryan said, leaning toward us while Naya intertwined her arm with mine.

"No." Naya said dryly. I looked at her with a frown, confused. "I'm married to his brother. We have a two year old girl, Gaya."

I got rid of the grip of her arm and I left her, putting my hands on either side of my face. It was too much. Too much information. "Sayara, are you..." Aryan began.

"My name is _CARRIE_!" I shouted, the volume of my voice surprised me and I swallowed. "Sorry. My name is _Carrie_. I don't know who Sayara is. Look..." I sighed and my eyes wandered between the two faces. "I don't know what it is what you expected. That I recognized you as my family? That all were hugs, kisses and stories? It's been twenty-five years! I don't know who you are, and you don't know who I am."

"And why don't you try to explain it?" Naya said, moving a little. For a moment, I thought she would try to touch me and I stiffened, not knowing how to react, but instead, she wrapped her arms around her torso. She looked so sad. Sadder than I had ever seen anyone. "Tell us how you feel."

I nodded. Aryan had raised his eyebrows and looked from one to the other, probably not knowing whether to go or stay. "I'm scared. Overwhelmed. Confused. But mostly scared. I am so scared." I admitted through gritted teeth, and leaned against one of the tables, noting how my breathing quickened.

"You don't have to..." Naya began. I laughed aloud, but I wasn't having any fun.

"Do I have to explain who I am? Right. My name is Carrie Corbett, not Sayara Winters. I'm twenty-five. I have lived almost my entire life in Jackson, with my parents, Jack and Sarah Corbett, and my brother, Ethan. All my life I've lived with three werewolves. I have attended meetings of the pack." I sighed and looked up at Naya, frowning. "I don't even know how many years I spent waiting for my moment to turn. But it never came. At home, I couldn't talk to my parents about it because they told me not to worry. At school, I couldn't talk to anyone because I wasn't allowed. In the pack, I couldn't talk to anyone because they laughed at me. The only person I could talk to about it was my friend Charlotte, who was trying to make me feel better, but she couldn't understand me, because she's human. I've always felt like a freak." I smiled. "As a freak among freaks. From a long time, I know I'm not a wolf or a human. I've gotten used to it, but that doesn't mean that I feel good. Want to know who I am? I am a twenty-five year old woman who discovered two days ago that her whole life is a lie, and everyone knew it but me. My best friend, my brother, my parents, the Jackson pack... Everyone but me. The first person," I said, straightening my back and stepping to Naya and Aryan. "The first person in my life who has been willing to help has been a vampire. A vampire who has traveled far away to explain me what I am, where I come from, why, apparently, a squad of deadly slayers had been coming after me. He has risked his life for me. And all the time we were worried about _my family_?" I made a pause, my breath was fast and heavy. "I'm in love with a vampire. And that scares me. But I'm not afraid to love him; it scares me that _my family_, if that's what you are, wants to kill him. I'm scared because I don't know what to expect from you, and I don't want anyone to hurt Eric. Neither Eric or Pam, or Tara, or Alcide, or any of the supernatural people I know who are great beings. I'm scared because you ripped off the fangs from a vampire and you cut off a werewolf's head. I have my reasons to be scared. And I just want to go back to Fangtasia. Please, let me go back."

Naya and Aryan looked at me with wide eyes; a silent tear fell down Naya's cheek. "Carrie, I was there the night those guys attacked you." Aryan said, putting a hand on Naya's shoulder, she closed her eyes. "And I saw they almost killed you. I was going to intervene when I felt the approaching vampire. I saw him tear those kids apart, Saya... Carrie." He rectified. "I saw him ravage them. I know you think I'm not the one to tell you with who you should or should not be, but he's a vampire, a murderer. He has over a thousand years; you know how many corpses are on his trail? He is one of the oldest vampires in America, the oldest of Louisiana. Eric Northman is..."

"You know nothing about him." I said, taking a step towards him and pointing a threatening finger to his face. "Nothing at all. And you can't say anything that might change how I feel about him. Also, who the hell are you to judge the corpses left in his way? Tell me, how many have you left?"

Aryan lifted his chin. "The head was a signal." Naya said, swallowing. "We knew you hated her, she attacked a guy near Shreveport and we saw the opportunity. Eyan thought..."

"Who the hell is Eyan?" I said, frowning, annoyed at how they spat names at me and waited for me to know who they were talking about.

"I am Eyan." Said a voice from the doorway. The three of us looked at the man with scrambled brown hair, big brown eyes and a clean-shaven face coming toward us from the doorway. "I am your brother-in-law." He added with a smile. I lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

"Don't expect a hug." I said. "What kind of person believes that a _severed head _is a peace offering?" I added, looking at Naya. Eyan wrapped my sister's shoulders with his arm.

"Do you want to question my methods?" He said with a half smile.

"Actually..." I started, but Aryan came closer to me with wide eyes and shook his head slightly.

"Don't put her between a rock and a hard place, brother." He said. "Why don't we all go to dinner? Surely they are waiting for us."

Eyan raised an eyebrow but he turned around, guiding Naya, who looked at me over her shoulder. "I don't want to go to dinner." I mumbled. Aryan gave me a little push in the back to start walking.

"I know that." He said. "But Eyan is the head of the Squadron. If you question him he can get your head cut off in less than two minutes."

I looked up to Aryan's face, who continued staring straight ahead. I breathed deeply a few times and tried to normalize my heartbeat. "I guess I'll have to resist the urge to kick his ass."

"You should."


	20. Chapter 20: Run Before I'm Dead

_**Chapter XX: Run Before I**__**'**__**m Dead**_

_I was just trying to be myself_

_Have it your way I__'__ll meet you in hell_

_It__'__s all these secrets that_

_I shouldn__'__t tell I__'__ve got to run away_

_It__'__s hypocritical of you_

_Do as you say not as you do_

_I__'__ll never be your perfect girl_

_I__'__ve got to run away._

_- Run Away, _P!nk.

"You will have many questions." Eyan said as he passed me a basket with bread. I took it without looking up. To say I was intimidated was an understatement. I was in a big room, divided into fifteen large tables. I assumed it was a squadron on each table, which consisted in about five or six people sat, all of them talking animatedly over dinner, throwing furtive glances at me from time to time, trying to hide it.

"Why don't they stop looking at me?" I whispered, leaning to Naya. She half smiled.

"Well, I've been talking about you for a long time. You're like the prodigal daughter, you know?"

I nodded, shoving a piece of bread in my mouth to keep it busy and avoiding saying something of what was going through my head.

"Carrie." Aryan said, forcing me to look up at him. "Calm down. Nothing will happen to you." He exchanged a brief glance with his brother while I swallowed. "About a year ago, we located you." He said, setting his fork down. Other Watchers stared at him, surprised. "One of our human spies, Tom Clearwater, recognized you. By your expression, I assume you remember him."

"But Tom Clearwater was afraid of me."

"He was scared because a few months ago he had wanted to leave the job, and we didn't let him." Eyan said. "He was too valuable. But he didn't want to get involved with vampires, and he was right, seeing how he ended up. We tried to erase his fear by glamouring him, but apparently, it didn't work well enough… By the way, where is he?"

"We buried him in the cemetery of Bon Temps." I said in a whisper. "In a recent grave. I don't remember which."

"Well," Aryan said, casting a reproachful look at his brother. "We've been sending you messengers since then. But they've been always intercepted. By Jackson's pack, and sometimes by Shreveport's pack."

"Alcide?" I whispered, frowning. Ok, he had lied to me to protect me, but kill people to prevent me from knowing the truth? It didn't look like something Alcide would do.

"Ethan." Naya said with a look of pity.

"Your _brother_ has done everything for you to not find out of our existence. He killed, robbed and lied about it." Aryan said. "The fangs weren't a message for you; they were a message for us. Inside that box was another thing, this." Aryan said, raising a hand. On his ring finger, a flat ring with the symbol of the Watchers threw silver sparkles. "That ring belonged to you. Given your... _ahem_, relations with vampires, we thought it inappropriate to send a human, so we hypnotized a vampire to do it. As you know, this alliance didn't come to fruition, because his fangs ended up in your hands. Ethan and his wolf, Samantha, were in charge of the work."

"We believe that the pack master doesn't know anything about it." Naya added softly, reassuring my heart rate a little. Ethan? All this time? _Why?_

"The head was killing three birds with one stone." Eyan said. "Free you from a threat, make you see that we were on your side, and send a message to the wolves. It seemed logical."

_What kind of twisted mind would see logical to put a head in someone__'__s fridge?_ I thought, but I preferred to stay quiet. "Can you hypnotize vampires?" I said, instead of vocalizing my thoughts.

"_We_ can." Naya remarked. "You can do it too. Didn't it ever happen? Didn't you want to convince a vampire of something and you did it without realizing?"

In a flash, it went through my mind that night that Eric believed me involved in spying the Fangtasia and he grabbed my neck, and I didn't know how to make him see that I hadn't anything to do. _I believe you. Although I don__'__t know why_, he had said.

"Was it for this?" I whispered to myself. "I glamoured him?"

Naya nodded. "Everything has been to bring you back." Eyan said. "For this moment. You are one of us, and you belong here. All those doubts that have corroded you over the years, stop here and now. You're home."

"Cheers for being at home!" One of the girls said, raising her glass, and they all mimicked her

"No!" I said, standing up. "Don't misunderstand me." I added, seeing how they all looked at me. "I'm glad to know who you are. But I have a life, a job, a..." I sighed. "I don't know, I have a life to go back to."

"That life is a lie." Naya said. "You said it yourself."

"But it's mine!" I contradicted. "I have the right to return and talk to Ethan, to Alcide, Eric. You can't hold me back."

Eyan rose, a half smile spreading across his face, like a wolf licking his lips. "Want to bet?" He said.

"Eyan..." Naya said, grabbing his sleeve.

"Naya." I said. "Is this a kidnapping?"

My sister looked at me with pleading eyes, eyes that said 'behave yourself and no one will hurt you, don't you face who you should not'. "Aryan, carry _Sayara_ to her room." He said. When his brother didn't move, he turned his eyes to him. "Now."

Aryan got up and grabbed my arm, pulling me. "You'll be sorry." I said, pointing a finger at Eyan while walking forced by Aryan. "When Eric comes and rip your fucking heart out, you'll regret making me stay here."

A dry laugh left Eyan's throat. "I can't wait for him to come."

* * *

><p>"I don't care what you say. Eric will come." I said, curling on the bed, hugging my legs. Aryan rolled his eyes and exchanged a look with Naya. We were in my cell (they liked to call it 'bedroom'), and the two had come to reassure me, because I had spent the last hour shouting insults and threats at the closed door. But not before getting my cell phone off my panties to send a text to my friend the vampire, since there was no coverage for anything else.<p>

_**Eric, I'm alive. I'm with the Watchers. **_

_**They say they won**__**'**__**t hurt me, but they don**__**'**__**t let me go. **_

_**I'm underground, but don**__**'**__**t know where. Help me.**_

The text was as descriptive as possible, in what could be a text. I only wished he had received it, read it, and that he could find me. That was a lot to wish.

"I have to go do the patrol." Aryan said, rising from the bed. "But I hope that your vampire doesn't come around here, for his sake."

I let go a laugh that sounded like a bark. "I'd like to see you try and stop him."

"We have our ways. You have no idea of how many weapons..." Aryan said before opening the door. "Never mind. Are you coming, Naya?"

Naya gave me one last pitiful look before getting up. "Carrie, you could be happy here, here you could..."

"Leave me alone." I muttered before lying on the bed. Naya's steps approached me.

"I picked this for you. We can look at it together." She said, showing me a folder. I looked at her.

"What's inside?"

Aryan gave her the door's key and then closed behind him when Naya joined me and sat next to me on the bed. "Several things I thought you might be interested in… About our parents, about me... about Eric... about the couple who raised you." She replied softly.

"Okay." I whispered, nodding.

Naya took several papers from the folder and spread them over the quilt. "Eyan wasn't like this before, you know," she said, as if trying to excuse herself. "He was kind, good, focused. But when he was upgraded, something changed. He lost several soldiers in an attack to a nest, and since then..." She shrugged. "He has a lot of hatred inside. But he's not bad, really. Although you'll probably think he is." I looked at her without blinking and she stared back at me, her eyes were bright. She shook her head, as if wanting to get rid of those nasty thoughts. "I think your parents, the ones you call your parents, I think they really love you." Naya said, nodding. "They've taken good care of you, they worried about you. But Ethan doesn't. Ethan wants to use you."

"Use me? What for?" I asked. She shrugged.

"To discover us. To start a fight. Who knows, wolves are unpredictable."

I swallowed. I had never got along with Ethan, but I thought it was because siblings never like each other, period. Not because he intended to use me to start a battle between wolves and hunters. Although, knowing that he had known the truth for so many years and hadn't told me anything, it wasn't so implausible. I shook my head, sighing.

"What about Eric?" I said. "What do you know about him?"

She shrugged. "He's a peculiar vampire, so I've seen. He's Swedish, but you already know it. Viking. He was turned in 930, when he was about thirty, or so we think. We don't know by who." I shrugged, though the name 'Godric' crossed my mind quickly. "Long story short, he's one of the strongest and oldest vampires here. He's only created a vampire, which is strange. He has several properties, a farm in Sweden, a plantation in the Caribbean, Shreveport's bar... It sucks to admit it, but I don't think he's a bad guy. Not evil, at least."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Eric is a peculiar vampire, yes." I said. "He's composed, he tends to be in a good mood, and knows what he wants. He doesn't use violence just for pleasure." _Or almost never_, my brain added. "Naya, I've _been_ with him. Last night I was with him. He's good with me. I wouldn't like that this ended with one of the two parties dead, and..."

Naya took one photo from the folder and I shut up, looking at the picture. They were our parents, I recognized the couple I had seen on Eric's laptop, with a little girl and a baby in her arms in the hospital.

"It's the day you were born." Naya said. "Mom went into labor early in the morning. They got me out of bed and I went to the hospital with them, I was outside, waiting with dad. You were born very fast, very much compared to my daughter. It didn't take you more than two hours to get out. I was so nervous. Dad, as we waited, said, 'Naya, you're gonna have a baby sister. She will be tiny and helpless for a long time, and you'll have to love her and take care of her'." A tear slid down her face and I looked up at the ceiling, trying not to cry too. "He said, 'for you, she'll always be like today. A baby. It's what happens when you have to take care of someone. It's hard to know when they stop needing you. It'll be the same for us with both of you. So you have to take good care of her, make sure that she's happy, that she smiles a lot and that her heart is healthy. Can you do it? Can you take care of your little sister?'" Naya sniffed and brushed a strand of hair from my face with delicate fingers, for a moment I felt like I was a kid again. "I promised I would take care of you. That you'd be happy, healthy and free." She nodded and stood up, giving me a kiss on the forehead as she held my hand in both of hers. "Wherever he is, I hope he's proud." She said, sliding a key into my hand.


	21. Chapter 21: Someone to Save Me

_**Chapter XXI: Someone To Save M**__**e **_

_All alone again_

_Searching for something_

_There's no one left to save me now_

_I won't be afraid_

_I just thought you'd catch me_

_But you're not here to save me now._

_- Superhero, _The Pretty Reckless.

The door was starting to warm up after having my ear against it for almost two hours. I was alternating it with looks through the gap between the door and the floor, minimal but enough to feed my hopes, trying to see if the light was on or off. Meanwhile, the last words Naya had said were still reeling in my head: '_Wait for the hallway lights to be off. Go straight to the end of the hallway, then to the left. Past the dining room door, there is an elevator. To the top floor. I hope you find happiness. I love you, Carrie._'

I breathed deeply when I heard a click and the lights went out. My hands were sweating, the key was hot and humid, and I decided to wait a few more minutes before I got out, at least until most of the Watchers were asleep.

It had been the most intense day of my life. I didn't know how I would face the future, but firstly I had to get out of there. I had to get out, go with Eric, make sure Charlie was safe and talk to Alcide about Ethan's betrayal. He was killing people. Manipulating us. I didn't know how they would react when I told them all about all my discoveries, my nature, my real parents, the intentions of the Watchers... in fact; I hadn't even clear what they wanted. Was it sure that they wouldn't do anything to my loved ones? I wasn't sure. However, they had seemed quite reasonable (unless Eyan) perhaps driven by wrong motives, maybe they had the biggest egos I'd ever seen (and I had slept with Eric, so it was a lot to say), but they were reasonable after all. Something like the supernatural cops. Watching in case someone crossed the line.

I pulled my cell phone out of the pants and looked at the screen. Nothing. Eric hadn't answered me. Not that I had coverage. _Well, Carrie, you're alone in this. Remember that you are Buffy, you can walk a couple of corridors. You__'__re Buffy. Buffy._

I repeated it to myself a couple of times and got up from the ground, inserting the key into the hole as quietly as I could and opened the door slowly. I let out a deep breath before taking the first step into the hallway. Into the darkness, it seemed much longer and threatening, but I started to take long, measured steps, moving slowly, trying not to make any noise. I had hardly taken five steps when my phone vibrated and I grimaced, standing completely still. With a deep breath, I pulled the device out. My heart raced when I saw the screen lit up with a message from Eric:

_**Don**__**'**__**t turn off the phone. I'll find you.**_

I raised an eyebrow. Short, but direct. Eric was coming. He was going to help me. He was worried. I suppressed the urge to smile and nodded to myself, I kept walking, until the end of the hall. I repeated once again the words of Naya: '_Go straight to the end of the hallway, then to the left_.' I obeyed and turned to the next corridor. I bit my lip as I walked, muffled voices inside some room, dim lights escaping under the doors.

"... Not coming. And if he comes, we kill him, period." Said a voice down the hall.

I looked sideways, seeking a way out, my heart beating a mile a minute, and ran to a wooden door that had no lock, which made me think it wasn't a room. Carefully closing behind me, I leaned my back against the door, in the dark.

"It's not that easy, Eyan." Aryan's voice said. "Since when do we do this? Keep her here against her will?"

"I'll let that wolf know that their threats and ruthless acts haven't scared us. She's family, she will stay. Maybe now you don't understand, maybe neither does her, but in a few months, when she learns to use her skills, you'll thank me, and..." the voice trailed down the hallway and I dropped to the ground, noting how the blood was pumping in my ears. On my way to the ground, I accidentally touched the switch that lit the room. I blinked a few times, dazzled, and then gasped.

Weapons, weapons and more weapons were spread along the walls, shotguns, submachine guns and handguns, crossbows, silver, wooden ammunition, flamethrowers. I swallowed, looking around. Aryan was right. They were prepared. If Eric came to the Shelter with nothing but his arms, his fangs and his bad temper, he wouldn't get anything but the true death. With trembling hands, I pulled the phone from my pocket.

_**Don**__**'**__**t come.**_

I thought that two words were enough to make clear my desire. I didn't know how I was going to do it without him, but I had no other choice. I would not let him get hurt because of me. I opened the door carefully and my phone vibrated again.

"Damn it..." I mumbled inaudibly, pulling the phone out once again. My two words were answered with two others:

_**Too late.**_

Just then, a loud bang was heard and all the lights came on while I turned around, looking around me, confused, and a siren so loud that would not let me listen to my own thoughts began to ring. The siren was accompanied by an automatic female voice:

"_Warning: Intruder. Warning: Intruder. All squads get your weapons and follow the instructions of your captain. Warning: Intruder...__"_

"Shit." I said, looking around. "Shit-shit-shit."

I ran to the other side of the room, where helmets and bulletproof vests were accumulated and I grabbed the first things I could, I wore a black helmet with transparent visor and a vest over my clothes, unbuttoned. I headed for the door, but I stopped and turned around to catch a small and handy weapon, loaded with wooden bullets. I took a deep breath.

"Come on. Come on." I told to myself, and put my hand on the doorknob, but it was flung open, and a group of people came in.

"What are you doing here?" Said a man I didn't know. "From what Squad are you?"

I blinked a few times before answering. "Err... from... B?"

The man rolled his eyes. "Now get out of here. They need backup in entrance 4."

"What's the matter?" Asked one of the girls, as she grabbed a shotgun.

"Vamps broke in." Replied the man, and I slipped through the crowd to leave the armory. Among the accumulated crowd, my eyes met those of Aryan, who raised his eyebrows. With a quick, almost undetectable to someone who wasn't looking attentively, motion, he nodded towards the direction I had to follow, down the hall and then another turn to the elevator. I nodded and mouthed a 'thank you' before running off.

I got to the elevator quickly and pressed the button, waiting.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon..." I muttered impatiently as people came and went behind me and I struggled to go unnoticed. I heard a '_cling__'_ and the elevator doors opened, but it wasn't empty.

"Look at her, see how she could took care of herself?"

"Shut up, Pam." Eric and Tara said at once, and I sighed just before launching into the arms of the blond vampire, who raised a rather surprised eyebrow, but returned the hug.

"Can we go now?" Pam said, nodding to the soldiers coming and going. "This is a waste of time."

"Let her go!" Cried a voice, and we turned to see a group of heavily armed Watchers pointing at us with wicked-looking weapons. "Now!"

Eric pushed me until I was behind him, but I could see how Eyan gave the signal to fire. "Pam!" Eric called, and with a quick movement, Pam moved me to the side, so I was protected from the shooting by the metal walls of the elevator, but I heard Tara scream. I had Pam in front of me and couldn't see anything but a blurry of blond hair, but I heard the shouts of the soldiers, crunches and commands that were lost in the struggle of the Watchers against Eric and Tara.

A shot hit Pam, who screamed and fell to the ground, fangs extracted, and I could see the blood bath that had become the lobby of the Shelter. Tara was cornered, with a silver chain around her neck, held by a group of soldiers, including Naya, and Eric smiled as he lifted Aryan by the neck, while others pointed their weapons at him.

"Enough!" I shouted, making everyone look at me. Pam rose from the ground and I saw that the bullet had struck her on a leg, and that was already healing. "Enough! Let me go!"

"There's only one way to end this, Carrie." Eric said, showing his fangs widely and tightening the grip on the neck of the Watcher.

"No, Eric." I said, raising my hands and going out of the corner to be completely visible. "It doesn't have to be that way, this doesn't have to..."

"The vampire is right." Eyan said, and I frowned. "There's only one way to end this."

He changed the direction of his gun, from Eric to me, and gave me no time to react: I heard a scream, the explosion of a shot, and suddenly I was on the floor.

"NO!" Eric and I shouted at once. He pounced on Eyan and dug his fangs into the man's throat, making him scream, and I sat on the floor to take Naya in my arms, who had jumped between the bullet and my body.

"Withdrawal!" Aryan shouted hoarsely. "Get out of here! Right-fucking-now!"

The soldiers began to walk away, but a few, and released Tara, who ran to Pam.

"No, Naya, no..." I said, feeling hot tears running down my cheeks. Her abdomen was bleeding profusely and I put my hands over the wound, but then I knew it would not help. The bullet had pierced her, going out through her back. My head was spinning, I was dizzy, and my sister's green eyes shed a tear as she raised her hand and rested it on my face, staining my cheek with crimson.

"He said," Naya mumbled. "You're going to have a baby sister. She will be tiny and helpless for a long time, and you'll have to love her and take care of her. And I love you, Carrie, you have to..." Eric came to me and Naya looked up at him. "_Ta bort henne. Långt borta. Skydda henne. Det är min syster_."

Eric nodded and crouched beside me, holding my shoulders, keeping me from Naya, whose body fell limp on the ground.

"No!" I shouted. "No!" I touched the floor with my hand and I soon found the gun I had dropped. With tears in my eyes, I saw Eyan laying on the floor, gasping for breath, while his neck would not stop bleeding. "No!" I shouted, and pulled the trigger, the bullet hit him in the arm. I fired and fired, chest, leg, a few went to the wall, until I pulled the trigger and nothing happened. I sobbed, looking at Naya, and I felt a sharp pain in the belly. I looked down to find that my vest was stained with blood, and with the Eric's help, I took it off. To discover an open wound bleeding in my stomach.

"Carrie!" Eric said, as he dragged me into the elevator.

"Come up to the penultimate floor and go out through the north exit." Aryan said, pressing the button of the elevator and back to the hallway. "Good luck."

The doors closed just when Eric bit his wrist. "The bullet went through her..." I mumbled, swallowing, and noticed Eric's blood falling in my mouth while my vision got blurry.

"Carrie, stay here, stay with me, Carrie..."

Eric's voice faded into the darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Translations:<strong>

"_Ta bort henne. Långt borta. Skydda henne. Det är min syster_."- Take her away. Far away. Protect her. She's my little sister.


	22. Chapter 22: Find a Home

_**Chapter XXII: Find a Home**_

_All the words are gonna bleed from me _

_And I will think no more _

_And the stains coming from my blood _

_Tell me go back home._

_- Seven Nation Army, _The White Stripes.

"She'll be fine." A man's voice sentenced, calm and serious. "You can spend another day here. Keep her guarded."

I recognized the voice that answered him as Eric's. "Thank you." Words seemed to come out of his mouth against his will.

"But you have to sleep." Tara muttered.

"I'm fine." Eric replied dryly.

"Then, let's see." A woman's voice I did not recognize said. "Is she dangerous? Because if she's one of them she's supposed to be dangerous, right?"

"What do you wanna do, Jessica?" Pam said. "Rip off her head? I challenge you to try."

"She isn't dangerous." Eric stated. "Not for us, anyway. But I think she's unaware of her own... power."

"You look genuinely worried." Said the voice of the first man again, with a funny hint.

"She's mine." Eric muttered.

"I think she's more than that..." The man said, and then I felt a hand on my forehead and I was pushed to open my eyes and locate myself. Everything was blurry at first, but my eyes adapted surprisingly fast to this new place. I was in a large room, laying on a bed of gray and bright sheets, the room was lit with a dim light that came from some old lamps hanging from the walls.

"Carrie." Eric said, and suddenly he was beside me, I raised both eyebrows as my eyes focused.

"What happened to you?" I whispered, looking at Eric. He had dried blood under his nose and cheekbones, coming from his ears. I put my hands on either sides of his cold face and I sat up, he closed his eyes, tilting his face to give me a light kiss on the palm, holding my wrists.

"He refuses to rest." Pam said, quirking an eyebrow. She seemed more bored than tired. "That's why he bleeds."

I frowned, looking around. There were three other vampires in the room, and two humans. Tara, a male vampire with a benevolent smile, an expensive suit and brown hair, he was the one who he had put his hand on my forehead a few seconds before, the redhead vampire who accompanied Sookie to Fangtasia a few weeks ago (I assumed it was Jessica). Finally, in a corner, rocking her in his arms as she shed silent tears were Jason Stackhouse, dressed as a police officer, and Charlie.

"Blee..." I muttered. "Bleeding?"

"Do not worry." Eric said, getting up from the floor to sit on the edge of the bed. "I'm fine. But how are you?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Fine. At least physically." Memories started to flow through my mind, sending a pang of pain through my body. I placed one hand over my abdomen. "The girl who died, Eric…"

"She was your sister." He said, nodding. "I figured it out when I saw her. She had your own eyes, you know?" He said, smiling and rubbing his thumb over one of my cheeks. Then he turned serious. "She was dead before you let her go, there was nothing I…"

I sobbed and surrounded his neck with my arms, burying my face in his chest as he surrounded me with his big arms. "I know…" I said. "I know... But…"

"Carrie…" Charlie said, stepping forward. I lifted my face from Eric's chest and I knelt on the bed, opening my arms, and Charlie came running until we hugged, both falling on the bed. "I'm sorry, Carrie, I'm really sorry …"

I shook my head and wiped the tears from her face, looking around. "Thank you. All of you." The well-dressed vampire gave me a nod. "Where am I?"

"In Bon Temps." Said the vampire. "In my house. I'm Bill Compton; it's a pleasure, Carrie. "

I nodded with a small smile. "Remember the ridiculous vampire I mentioned, the King of Louisiana?" Eric said. "Here he is."

Bill rolled his eyes, but ignored the comment. "Eric, Pam and Tara brought you here last night. Eric gave you his blood, but your wounds were very serious, and have taken some time to heal. But you are now cured, and safe." He said.

Jessica coughed and moved closer to the bed, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Could you tell us…? Can you tell us what happened? Who are they?"

I nodded and proceeded to tell the whole story, since they broke into Fangtasia and took me. "By the way, how's Ginger?" I said, squeezing a little Eric's hand, which I was holding. On the other hand, I had Charlie's.

"She's alright." Pam said, looking at her nails. She shook her head, pushing her hair aside and smiled. "She doesn't remember anything."

I rolled my eyes. "If she didn't scream so much, I would've taken it seriously when I heard her screaming in the bar."

A bird squawked from the forest and Bill smiled at me, but Jessica shook her head. "Okay, but do we have to worry? Are we gonna attack those _Rangers_?"

"Watchers." I said with a faint smile. "I don't know. Given that we killed Eyan..." I said, turning my eyes towards Eric. "He was the bad apple. But Naya said that no death was left unpunished. They'll come for you. For us." I added, looking at Tara and Pam. The last one snorted.

"I didn't even have the chance to kill anyone." She grumbled with her deep voice.

"Well then." Bill said, typing something on his cell phone. "You were right, Eric. You have to go away, far away."

Eric nodded and looked at me; his blue eyes looked tired but determined. "It's what your sister told me. To take you far away."

Bill talked to someone through his phone and the bird squawked louder, and I heard a knock on a window.

"I'm going to shoot that crow if it doesn't shut the fuck up." Jason said, running his hand through his hair. I frowned and got on all fours on the bed, Eric looked at me frowning as I leaned on the window.

"The sun will rise in less than an hour." Bill said. "You'll leave tomorrow."

"Make it today." I said, staring wide-eyed at the crow hitting the glass with its beak, flapping, and it looked really nervous. "Do you remember what I said about animal control?"

Eric extracted his fangs, looking at the crow, but I placed a hand on his arm.

"It's just a bird." Eric said.

"He's on our side."

"He's warning us." Tara muttered, and then, a man dressed in black, like a riot police, walked through the room's door.

"Your majesty, a man wants to see you. He says his name is Alcide Herveaux."

I jumped out of the bed, along with Eric and everyone else, and went down with Charlie and Jason down the stairs; the vampires were already down when we arrived.  
>Alcide was in the doorway, talking with the vampires and breathing hard, putting on a sweatshirt that one of Bill's guards had given to him, sweatpants seemed also loaned.<p>

"...coming here, and..." his eyes moved towards me. "Carrie, I..."

I approached him and gave him a hug. "Hush, I get it." I said, and I let him go, returning to Eric's side, who surrounded my waist with one arm. Alcide frowned slightly and looked up at Eric's face, who really looked like he was holding back a triumphant smile, and I couldn't avoid rolling my eyes. "Well, what's going on? What's the pack master doing in the King of Louisiana's house?"

"The pack is coming." Alcide said, looking at me. "To get you."

I raised my eyebrows, hugging my torso. "Get me? Why?"

"They tracked the scent of Rikki to your house. They think you killed her. And I helped you. I have expelled from the pack. The new master is Ethan."

"No…" I said, placing a hand over my mouth. "Alcide… Ethan, he isn't..."

"Yeah, Charlie told me last night." Alcide said, nodding.

"He wants to start a war." Eric said. "Between wolves, vampires and Watchers. He wants to eradicate the other species."

"He won't do that." I said, looking at Eric, distraught. "He's gonna get the whole pack killed!"

Eric's first expression was 'so?' but when I frowned a bit more, he nodded.

"You have to kill him, or beat him, at least." Bill said, looking at Alcide. "You'll win the master status again; they'll have to obey you."

"Before the Watchers kill him. All of them." I said. Alcide looked at me frowning, then his shoulders dropped.

"You ask me to kill my best friend."

"My brother." I said, nodding. "Don't kill him, just… tame him. You can do it. I know you can."

There was a silence, only broken by a howl in the distance.

"You must leave." Bill said, placing a hand on my back and leading me to the door, Eric, Pam and Tara followed us. "Take one of the cars, and leave."

Eric picked me up and I could only see how Alcide took off his sweatshirt before becoming a wolf and running into the woods, followed by a squad of men, the King and Jessica.

* * *

><p>"Here." Jason said, handing me a beer. I smiled and took it, opening it.<p>

Eric, Pam and Tara had stayed there, after getting me into a car with Jason and Charlie, and despite my protests and my screams, Jason had taken me to his house. I felt like a rag doll, dragged around from one place to another, with anything I could say or do against it. Now, I was sitting by the window, watching as the sun rose. The sun. Damn.

"You have to rest." Charlie said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "They probably buried themselves somewhere. While it's daylight, we'll have no news."

"I can't sleep." I whispered, hugging my legs tighter.

"Here." Jason said, giving me a couple of pills that looked suspicious. "It's just Valium. Lafayette gave it to me, it's... it will help you sleep a few hours." I took the pills from his hand and walked to the couch. Soon, I was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>"Carrie..." Someone shook me. "Wake up, Carrie..."<p>

I opened my eyes to the evening light coming through the window, I jumped and sat up.

"What happened? Eric?" I said, lost. Alcide looked back at me, kneeling on the floor.

"I don't know where he is. Wolves attacked Bill's house when you left. Bill and Jessica are fine, but..."

"They were there to kill." Said another voice, and I turned my face to the door. Leaning against the wall, was Aryan. I jumped up, running my hands through my hair, silently demanding more information. "My squad was there soon enough."

"We've been slaughtered." Alcide said, burying his face in his hands. I crouched down next to him and hugged him. It took a few seconds but he hugged me back. "Half of the pack is dead. At least ten of Bill's men too."

"Ethan?" I whispered.

"I banished him." Alcide said, raising his face. "He fled with Samantha. I told him I'll kill him if he comes back."

I nodded. "Does that mean I can stay in Shreveport?"

"No." Aryan said, shaking his head. "Eric and the other two vampires are still an objective for us. And you've been awarded with the lovely title of 'traitor'. The further from here, the better."

A thud made me turn my face to the other side.

"We prepared your suitcase." Charlie said, after leaving it on the ground. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes swollen; she seemed to have been crying all day. Jason wrapped his arm around her back. His face looked so tired.

"If Eric doesn't appear..." Alcide said, and I focused my eyes on him. "Don't look at me like that, if he doesn't... you'll have to leave anyway."

"He will." I said, nodding.

"It's getting dark." Jason said, pointing to a window with his head. I jumped up and went outside. The sun was setting, and I bit my lip as I waited for the night to fall. Surely he was fine. We had been attacked by a squad of Watchers at the Shelter and he left without a scratch, the wolves could not be much worse.

"Come on, Eric, don't do this to me..." I whispered, looking from side to side, between the trees. "Anytime..." I said, feeling the restlessness growing inside of me. Meanwhile, the others were talking behind me.

"I lost him when I started fighting with Ethan." Alcide said.

"But, did he have time to hide before the sun came up?" Charlie asked. Aryan sighed.

"Everything was screams, blood and fear. We didn't have time to watch the vamps."

"But..."

I shook my head and I stopped listening. I could clearly see the battle if I closed my eyes, although I had not been there. The lost lives, human, wolves and Watchers. I sighed, and then I saw something moving among the trees.

"Eric!" I said, and took a step forward, but from the branches, Pam and Tara showed up. A sense of relief ran through my body, but it was quickly replaced with confusion. I frowned. "Where's Eric?"

"You always forget to look up." Said a voice above my head and I raised my face to see Eric levitating over me. I threw a laugh and he fell to the ground gracefully. His feet had not yet touched the grass of Jason Stackhouse's garden when I already had thrown myself into his arms, pressing my lips against his as he smiled. He tasted like dirt and blood. "We hardly had time to bury ourselves." He said, when we parted, taking my face in his hands. "But I have a promise to keep."

I frowned. "What?"

"I told your sister that I would protect you."

I sighed heavily and buried my face in his chest. He whispered something in Swedish that I did not understand, but it made me feel better. "For a moment I thought..."

"Hey." Eric said, kissing my hair. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours, remember?"

I raised my face to his and Eric slowly placed his lips over mine. I closed my eyes as I received the caress of his kiss and I only parted from him when someone coughed by our side. We both turned to look at Alcide.

"You have to hurry." He said, handing me the suitcase.

"Alcide." I said, and I let go of Eric to embrace the wolf. "I don't know how to thank you..."

"Stay alive." He said. "That's all I need."

I nodded and let him go. Probably in all the meanings of the expression. I also hugged Aryan, who sighed against my hair.

"Aryan, I'm sorry, I..." I didn't even know what to say. That I didn't want all those people to die, I didn't want to get them all in danger, I didn't want Naya to be hurt? Of course I didn't. And he knew that.

"It wasn't your fault." Said the Watcher. I looked at him pleadingly and he nodded. "Don't worry. I'll take care of our niece."

I nodded and hugged Jason and Charlie, although parting from the latter was much harder, eventually I succeeded.

"Take care of her. She's a true friend." I told Jason, who nodded. I turned around and took Eric's hand. He and Alcide shared a small nod, which I interpreted as a small peace treaty. Pam and Tara were waiting for us in the car and the blonde sighed, impatiently. "Jason, that uniform... Are you actually a cop? Or a stripper or something?"

Jason frowned, but he laughed. "I'm a cop. Why?"

I smiled. "No, nothing. Just... Be good to Charlie, okay?" Jason nodded and Charlie snuggled against him while Eric and I headed to the car.

"I know what you're thinking." Eric said as he opened the passenger door. I raised my eyebrows. "The psychological exam to be a police man must be fucking easy."

I laughed aloud while Eric started the car and pulled away from Bon Temps, trying not to look back.


End file.
